Goal setting for 2025: Why SMART might not be BEST

​If you’re aiming to be at your best for 2025, now is a good time to set some goals.
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Goal setting is sports psychology 101. Of the mental coaching tools used by sports psychologists it’s probably the most valuable and is usually framed around the SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant and Time-bound) acronym. The riders I coach who’ve achieved the most with their cycling are those who have a clear sense of why they train and set goals with a purpose clearly in mind. That is, they remain consistently committed to completing purposeful training by establishing goals that above all are meaningful to them.

SMART can be overdone. The mark of a successful goal is not whether it is ultimately achieved (if goals are ‘smashed’ then they’re too easy) but whether it is sufficiently meaningful to keep training on track when motivation dips. Coming up with something useful might involve a couple of deep breaths and allowing the mind to land on the real reasons why cycling has a value to you before putting pen to paper.   
For example, hitting 4w/kg at FTP by 4th Feb 2025 is a SMART cycling training goal but it lacks meaning. It’s a process target, not something that is psychologically connected to why you’re prepared to put so much effort and time into training. Your goals may be to stay fit, weight management, being in shape to do a week in Mallorca or something entirely different so it’s worth spending some time to frame something genuinely useful. Your targets may not have all the SMART credentials of a power to weight metric, but they are probably capable of being made SMART enough to be valuable. Pick goals that mean something to you not ones that fit conveniently in the box.

The right goal gives meaning to hard work, so you train with intent and purpose rather than just going through the motions. This makes training more effective, more consistent and ultimately makes you faster and fitter.

Above all, goal setting represents hope for the future. It demonstrates confidence and optimism about the ability to achieve continued enjoyment and satisfaction from cycling. This self-belief sits beside oxygen and carbohydrates as a vital training ingredient. Set your goals with this in mind.

If I can help with your training, get in touch here. Now is a great time to start the work for 2025. 

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​Rich Smith is a psychology graduate and a British Cycling qualified Level 3 Road and TT coach supporting riders nationally and internationally. He established RideFast Coaching in 2015 to provide effective training to cyclists after being sanctioned at work for proposing a goal of 'doing away with his earthly body and becoming a glowing nimbus of pure energy'.