Athlete Guide to Setting SMART Nutrition Goals

Setting SMART nutrition goals helps athletes stay motivated and focused on their progress and achievements. It’s especially beneficial when they’re setting nutrition goals to support soccer performance. 

But when goals are vague and unrealistic, it makes them hard to achieve. And when athletes set a goal they can’t or don’t know how to achieve, they feel defeated.

That’s where SMART goals come in.

You can support your soccer players to set goals with an easy method, SMART goals, that sets them up for success and gives everyone a roadmap.

In this post, I’ll share some tips and tricks that I have have worked for my athlete kids and me. And I have created a SMART Goals Worksheet to serve as a guide.

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What are the 5 rules for setting SMART goals

The five rules for setting SMART goals are to make them:

1. Specific
2. Measurable
3. Achievable
4. Relevant
5. Time bound. 

Let’s break down each element for setting nutrition goals:

Specific: A specific goal is clear and straight forward.

 It answers the questions: 

• What do I want to achieve? 
• Why is it important? 
• Who is involved? 

For example, instead of setting a goal to “improve my hydration,” a specific goal would be “increase my hydration during the day so I am not dehydrated when I get to practice.”

Measurable: A measurable goal can be measured to show and track progress. 

It answers the questions:

• How will I know when I’ve achieved it? 

Continuing with the same hydration example, an athlete could measure how much water thet drink throughout the day by tracking the number of times they have to fill up your water bottle. 

Achievable: An achievable goal is challenging but something you can accomplish.

 It answers the question: 

• Is it possible for me to achieve this goal? 

If their current hydration level is low, setting a goal to double it in a week is not achievable. Instead, set a goal that’s challenging but doable based on their current level.

Relevant: A relevant  goal aligns with your overall objectives and values.

 It answers the question: 

• Does this goal matter to me? 

If the main objective is to improve their overall hydration to improve performance, setting a goal to drink more water throughout the day is relevant.

Time-bound: A time-bound goal has a timeframe for the goal to be done. 

It answers the question:  

• When do I want to achieve this goal? 

An example for a time bound goal would be to increase hydration by the end of the two weeks.

Keys to setting nutrition goals

While the SMART goals method sets an athlete on the right path for achieving sports performance goals, sticking to these goals isn’t always easy.

Many factors can make it hard to stay consistent and build habits. This includes, busy game and practice schedules, losing motivation, frustration when they don’t meet a step in the goal, and unexpected situations that make it hard to follow through.

SMART goal action plan for setting nutrition goals

Setting a goal is one thing, but putting in place a plan to achieve it is another. Once they set their SMART goal, they need to identify the specific steps and actions they will take to make your goal happen. (1).

By creating an action plan, they can decide when, where and how they will implement the steps to achieve their goal. This may be a few detailed steps that when taken together will help them meet your goal.

In the hydration example above, they may set your goal to achieve adequate hydration before practice.

Some actions they might take include, putting a water bottle by their bed so they can begin hydrating when they wake up. Then maybe they’ll set an alarm to remind them to drink throughout the day.

They’ll want to set an action plan that’s easy to follow and helps them take steps towards the goal.

Plan for setbacks and challenges

Keep in mind that setbacks happen. But the key is to have a back up plan and steps to help them get back on track as soon as possible.

When they’re writing your action plan, think about what could prevent them from being successful. Then think about some steps they could take if they run into a barrier, so that they can get back on track.

Also, be prepared to help them adjust their action plan if they try something and it doesn’t work. Have them reflect on their progress and check in regularly so they can make changes if needed.

Track progress towards achieving goals

To overcome challenges and keep motivated about their goal, it helps to have accountability. They can stay motivated by tracking your progress in a journal or finding an accountability partner, such as a teammate. 

Celebrate success

Celebrate their successes along the way and help them learn from their mistakes. Every time they achieve a goal, it’s a step toward achieving their athletic and sports nutritional goals.

Remember that achieving their nutrition goals is a journey, and setbacks and challenges are a part of it. Stay focused, stay motivated and stay committed, and they’ll be well on their way to achieving their goals.

Final thoughts for setting nutrition goals

When setting nutrition goals, use the SMART goal framework to develop goals they can achieve. Also remember that a key component of the SMART goals framework is developing an action plan with steps to help them reach your goal.

One common issue is that athletes might set too ambitious or unrealistic goals, which can be discouraging when they can’t achieve them. 

So if they set achievable goals that are challenging yet realistic, they can build confidence and momentum as they progress. Sometimes setting positive affirmations in addition to their goals can help them achieve success.

Athletes can use this methodical SMART goal approach to build life-long habits along the way.