BiggerPockets Money Podcast
Episode: How to Set FIRE Goals and Actually Achieve Them (2026)
Date: December 23, 2025
Hosts: Mindy Jensen & Scott Trench
Episode Overview
This episode is a hands-on, transparent walk-through of how serious FIRE (Financial Independence, Retire Early) practitioners set—and achieve—meaningful goals. Hosts Mindy and Scott reflect on their 2025 personal, professional, and financial journeys, describe their individual goal-setting approaches, and share candid, actionable advice for listeners who want to move beyond just dreaming of FIRE to actually getting there. The duo compare different styles of goal setting, highlight common pitfalls, and reveal their specific plans and intentions for 2026.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
1. Reflecting on 2025: Achievements & Challenges
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Scott (00:56–03:21)
- Welcomed a new family member (thanks to his wife, Virginia).
- Shifted from an obsessive CEO work-life to a more balanced and healthier routine.
- Began learning software development.
- Major financial mindset shift: from aggressive accumulation to wealth preservation and cash flow focus.
"I don't have to play this aggressive build ramp up my wealth creation game... I can play a much more defensive game and live off the cash flows of my portfolio. That's been a big transition for me." — Scott (02:38)
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Mindy (03:21–06:29)
- Eldest daughter started college—a major family transition.
- Personal health: lost 30 pounds in 2025, aiming for 20 more.
- Financial wins: successful private equity deals, moving from "baseline financial independence" to "fat FIRE," and experimenting with a risk-parity portfolio.
"Now it's just a game where can we take some investment risks for outsized returns because everything's now finalized, you know, everywhere else." — Mindy (05:14)
2. Looking Back at Goal Setting Strategies
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Scott (07:10–08:02)
- Detailed, multi-tiered goals: proactive fatherhood, smooth career transitions, portfolio management, fitness.
- Not all goals achieved (notably fitness), but satisfied with progress: "they were kind of absurd goals that really weren't practical, which I'm sometimes guilty of."
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Mindy (06:37–07:10)
- Did not set formal goals at the start of 2025.
- Working on the "31 Days Challenge" gave her new clarity into structured goal achievement.
3. Health and Fitness Journeys
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Weight Transformations (11:27–13:15)
- In late 2024, Mindy and Scott both weighed 190 pounds—a funny but notable shared moment given their very different heights.
- Scott gained 30 pounds (muscle), while Mindy lost 30 pounds through structured gym routines.
- Scott emphasized the mental and lifestyle benefits of weightlifting: "Having more muscle mass makes that very easy... there's room for that 20% or so of junk to get in there without being a problem." (12:31)
"Having a lot of muscle mass, there's a lot of benefits... mental clarity, the ability to eat more." — Scott (12:34)
"Going to the gym is actually kind of difficult for me because I don't know what I'm doing... So seeing progress is so motivating to keep going." — Mindy (13:27)
4. Scott’s Goal-Setting Process in Detail (14:34–18:18)
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Scott is a self-confessed "goal nerd," inspired by a neighbor and motivated by Darren Hardy's Living Your Best Year Ever journal.
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Evolved his process to include a detailed family vision document, continuously refined each quarter.
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All actionable goals are derived from this one-page family/life vision.
"You can't get exactly what you want if you don't know what you want." — Scott (16:19)
"Every quarter a sentence or two changes. But it's remarkable again how much now stays consistent." — Scott (16:50)
5. 2026 Goals and Categories
Scott’s 2026 Goals (18:18–23:20)
A. Entrepreneurship & Business
- Build and release high-quality, free DIY financial planning tools for the BiggerPockets community.
- Learn coding to develop financial planning software (free for users).
- Keep BP Money cash-flow positive and growing.
B. Family
- Have "the best year of marriage" with Virginia via routine weekly events (dates, meetings, walks, games).
- Restore household equity after a work-heavy phase.
- Be fully present with two daughters: regular giggles, development support.
C. Fitness
- Ambitious strength benchmarks: 315 lb bench (6 reps), 405 lb squat (6 reps), 495 lb deadlift (6 reps).
- Supplement with cardio (sub-20 minute 5k), aiming for four lifts and four runs per week.
- Focus on longevity: recovery, sleep, diet, preventative health.
D. Lifestyle
- Hit 10 weekday ski, hike, and bike days each.
- Four trips with Virginia; one or two with friends/family (possibly attending a Philadelphia Eagles game).
- Advance in personal gaming goals (League of Legends rank).
- Average 10,000 steps daily.
"I always set big goals and I get a good chunk of progress each year... If I accomplish even 50% of them, I'll be very thrilled with 2026." — Scott (22:00)
Mindy’s Approach & 2026 Goals (23:20–30:04)
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Emphasizes a less formal but evolving approach to goal setting.
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Top fitness goal: go to the gym five days a week for at least 35 weeks.
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Host Friday night dinners for more intimate connections.
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Weekly dates with husband Carl (aiming for 35/52 weeks).
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Create and act on a joint couple "bucket list," including visiting all 32 NFL stadiums.
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Professional: grow social media presence and website, roll out the 31-day free challenge.
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Financial: finish new home build, sell existing home, stretch goal to reach 8-figure net worth.
"Seeing results is so motivating to keep going... If your gym isn't doing it for you, maybe try a new gym." — Mindy (27:05) "Don't feel bad that your goals aren't the same... Scott's goals are Scott's goals and they're his stretch goals at that." — Mindy (24:33)
6. Discussion: Comparing Goal Setting Styles (30:00–32:37)
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Both hosts emphasize there's no "right" way—listeners should personalize their process, avoid unhealthy comparisons, and focus on improvement.
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Mindy urges listeners not to feel guilty or overwhelmed if they don’t have Scott’s level of detail or intensity.
"Anybody listening who is more Mindy than Scott, don't feel bad that you haven't historically set goals. Now's a great time to change that." — Mindy (23:34) "This can be really unhealthy for me... I have this ultra competitive streak and I'm so glad to have a healthy place for that in my fitness protocol." — Scott (24:53) "If you are going to get into goal setting... give yourself some grace. It's really hard to stay on track every single day." — Scott (37:51)
7. Practical Advice for Listeners (37:17–39:46)
- Scott’s practical weekly tip: Spend 15–30 minutes every Sunday reviewing your goals and planning the week.
- Mindy’s tip: Put reminders in your calendar and don’t wait for a new year or “perfect time” to restart—just resume.
- Both advocate for self-compassion and flexibility in the goal-setting journey.
Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments
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On shifting mindsets in FIRE:
"Now it's just a game where can we take some investment risks for outsized returns because everything's now finalized, you know, everywhere else." — Mindy (05:14) -
On routines enabling results:
"Having a lot of muscle mass, there's a lot of benefits... mental clarity, the ability to eat more." — Scott (12:34) -
On the power of a clear vision document:
"You can't get exactly what you want if you don't know what you want." — Scott (16:19) -
On comparing goal setting journeys:
"Don't feel bad that your goals aren't the same... Scott's goals are Scott's goals and they're his stretch goals at that." — Mindy (24:33) -
On Sunday check-ins:
"Every Sunday spend 15 to 30 minutes just planning out the week... Even if you only do it one every five weeks, are you thinking about checking on your goals? So don't beat yourself up if you're not doing this every single week." — Scott (37:51, 39:18)
Important Timestamps
- 00:56 — Scott’s 2025 Recap (personal, professional, financial)
- 03:21 — Mindy’s 2025 Recap (family, fitness, financial experiment)
- 07:10 — Scott’s 2025 Goal Review
- 11:27 — Scott & Mindy’s Shared Weight Journey
- 14:34 — Scott’s Goal-Setting Process Origins & Tools
- 18:18 — Scott’s Pillars and 2026 Goals (family, fitness, entrepreneurship, lifestyle)
- 23:20 — Mindy’s Approach to Goal Setting + 2026 Goals
- 30:00 — Professional/Financial Goals and Show/Brand Growth
- 32:37 — Reflections on Different Goal Setting Histories
- 37:17 — Process Advice: Templates, Journals, and Weekly Check-ins
- 39:46 — Mindy’s Calendar Reminder & Encouragement to Just Start/Restart
Overall Tone & Takeaways
Candid, motivational, and sometimes humorous, this episode demystifies goal setting for financial independence. Mindy and Scott’s different personalities and approaches give listeners permission to make FIRE fit their life stage, temperament, and aspirations. The spirit is relentlessly encouraging, with a focus on intentionality, self-compassion, and continuous improvement.
The message: Whether you’re a Scott (systems-focused, ambitious, detailed) or a Mindy (flexible, evolving, relationship-driven), the key is clarity, regular check-ins, and not letting perfectionism stop your progress. There’s no single FIRE “template”—just progress, reflection, and the willingness to start anew, any time.