
New Year, New Goals: Setting SMART Martial Arts Resolutions
It’s that time of year again as 2025 begins. The calendar flips, the clock resets, and everyone you know has suddenly turned into a goal-setting guru. Everyone swears they will become a different person, but most resolutions don’t last even after January.
This year you will learn to do it correctly with the SMART framework: Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant and Time-bound. This article will teach you how to achieve your goals this year without dampening your enthusiasm.
How to Set SMART New Year’s Resolutions in Martial Arts
Some of the things you should keep in mind when setting new goals for the new year include:
1) Be specific: Define your martial arts mission
You should be very specific when setting goals for the new year. Goals like “get better at Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu” or “improve my offensive defense” might seem reasonable, but they are too vague to be useful.
Instead of setting general goals, make them more specific, such as “I want to master three bottom guard sweeps.” This way you can actually track your progress. The more detailed your goal, the easier it will be to work on.
Other ways to make your martial arts goals more specific include:
- Identify problem spots: Think about the positions, techniques or tactics that have given you trouble lately. Perhaps it is the escape from control from below or the difficulty in securing a particular submission.
- Identify performance objectives: You can also set goals based on specific performance milestones. For example, if you can only roll on the mat for three minutes before running out of gas, you can set a goal to build your cardiovascular endurance so you can roll for five minutes.
- Change training frequency: You can also set specific goals to exercise more frequently than you currently do. For example, if you only exercise once a week, you can make it a New Year’s resolution to start exercising at least three times a week.
2) Set measurable goals: Track your progress
Set measurable goals with clear milestones and track your progress to stay motivated and accountable.
There’s no way to know if you’re achieving your goals if they aren’t measurable. Keeping goals measurable allows you to track your progress so you can celebrate your victories along the way. Think about numbers, time frames, or other quantifiable indicators.
Examples of measurable goals include:
- Perform 50 armbars during training this month.
- Run two miles in under 15 minutes.
- Attend 20 classes over the next six weeks.
- Sign up for private lessons every two months.
- Attend a martial arts seminar once a year
- Compete in local tournaments twice a year
Use an app or notebook to track your progress and you’ll quickly discover that there’s something deeply satisfying about seeing those numbers add up. It’s much harder to slow down when you’re tracking your progress.
3) Workable: Stretch, don’t break
Here’s a reality check: The surest way to ensure you fail to achieve your goals is to set unrealistic goals. Your goals should challenge you, but they shouldn’t be so unattainable that there’s no way you can achieve them, leaving you frustrated.
For example, setting the goal of becoming world champion in a year after training for a week is unrealistic. There’s nothing wrong with having long-term goals, but your primary goal should be incremental improvement.
Three tips that help keep goals attainable include:
- Evaluate your starting point: Being honest about your current skill level when setting goals is vital. For example, if you don’t yet know how to do a proper roundhouse kick, focus on improving your fundamental techniques instead of moving on to spinning kicks.
- Break down goals: Big goals are much less overwhelming when you break them down into smaller, more manageable steps.
- Respect your limits: We all have other obligations that can impact our training, so plan for setbacks and adjust your goals as needed.
Your instructors can be invaluable when setting realistic martial arts goals, so share your goals with them to ensure they align with your current abilities.
4) Relevant: Keep your eyes on the prize

Align your martial arts goals with your motivation, such as improving takedown defense for competition or mastering self-defense techniques, to stay focused and engaged.
Make sure any martial arts goals you set match your motivations for training. Are you looking to improve your ability to defend yourself, prepare for your first competition or stay in shape? Your goals should match your “why.”
Examples of relevant objectives include:
- For the competitors: “Improve my takedown defense before my next tournament.”
- For fitness enthusiasts: “Build my cardiovascular endurance by adding an extra round of sparring weekly.”
- For martial artists focused on self-defense: “Master three effective chokes.”
Your goals will seem more meaningful if they align with your motivation, making you more likely to stick with them.
5) Time-bound: Set a deadline for your goals
“Someday” is not good enough when setting goals. Goals without a timeline often fade into oblivion, while setting deadlines creates a sense of urgency that keeps you accountable.
Examples of time-bound goals include:
- “Learn how to apply the triangle choke from at least three different positions by the end of the year.”
- “Lose ten kilograms by the end of March to reach my weight class for the local tournament.”
- “Complete a 30-day martial arts challenge this month.”
Evaluate your progress toward your goals weekly and adjust your approach as needed. Remember that a missed deadline is not a failure – it’s an opportunity to recalibrate.
Bonus tips to help you keep your martial arts resolutions
Here are some tips that will make you more effective at sticking to your goals:
- Find an accountability buddy: Share your goals with some of your training partners so they can celebrate your victories and call you out if you start to slow down.
- Reward yourself: Treat yourself to something you want, like a new Rush Guard, every time you achieve one of your goals.
- Keep things fun: You’re doing something wrong if working on your goals feels like a chore. Find ways to enjoy the journey, such as relishing the camaraderie with your training partners.
Take your martial arts growth to the next level with SMART goals
2025 can be your best year as a martial artist if you set SMART goals. Be specific, measure your progress, aim for achievable goals, stay relevant to your mission, and set deadlines.
Check out the free martial arts classes at Evolve MMA if you’re looking for a place to train in Singapore. From Muay Thai to BJJ, we’ve got everything you need to achieve your New Year’s resolutions.
Book your free trial lesson with our world champions below!
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Evolve Mixed Martial Arts® is Asia’s leading martial arts championship brand. It has authentic world champions in Muay Thai, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, mixed martial arts, boxing, wrestling and No-Gi Grappling. Named the #1 martial arts organization in Asia by CNN, Yahoo! Sports, FOX Sports, ESPN StarSports, Tokyo Times and many other leading authorities, Evolve MMA aims to provide the best martial arts instruction available anywhere on the planet.