Achieving Goals: 7 Lessons to Success by GuidePoint Financial Planning

Twice a year, Orangetheory Fitness hosts the DryTri—a full-body fitness gauntlet combining a 2,000-meter row, 300 bodyweight reps, and a 5K run. After completing my last  DryTri, in  44 minutes and 20 seconds I knew I could do better and wanted to set some goals around my time and training.   

So, I set a new goal: complete the DryTri in 40 minutes.

Why? Honestly, I wanted to compete with myself. I was craving a challenge that would push my physical limits and keep me motivated over time.  I had not trained for something physically in many years and I thought it would be fun.  I expected it to be tough—and it was—but I also found it incredibly rewarding. Along the way, I learned a lot not just about fitness, but about what it really takes to reach a goal.

Here are the seven key lessons I took from the journey—ones I believe can apply to any goal — fitness, life, or personal finance.

1. Define the Goal and Set a Timeline

Vague goals rarely lead to concrete results. I didn’t just want to “get faster”—I wanted to cut over four minutes from my DryTri time. That kind of clarity made everything else possible.

Equally important: set a realistic timeline. I gave myself a few months to improve, which created urgency and focus. In my experience, if your timeline stretches beyond a year, it needs to be broken up into smaller timeframes.

True goals need a deadline.

2. Make It Public

I told two or three people about my goal. I have always been a believer and practitioner that when you write goals down you have a much higher chance of achieving them. 

Making your goal public takes writing it down to the next level and supercharges your success rate.  It does this by:

• Making it feel even more real by saying it out loud

• Creating energy, motivation and accountability

• Helps create a support network 

• Leverages a community that can help you better strategize

3. Build a Personalized Strategy

It’s not enough to just start working harder—you have to work smarter. I took time to strategically assess my goal and performance to ask:

• Where are my weak points?

• What can I improve quickly?

• What should my weekly training look like?

For me, it meant more consistent running intervals and refining my rowing form. Without a strategy, I would have wasted effort in the wrong areas.

4. Become a Student of the Process

One of the most energizing parts of this journey was learning. I connected with an old friend who is a marathon runner who helped guide me on improving my running training and time.  Not only did I learn a lot from him I also enjoyed connecting with him about something he is passionate about.

 I had to learn the importance of stretching and recovery after workouts and on non-training days.  My initial strategy focused on improving my run time but I quickly adjusted to the floor weight section after discovering that was a more efficient way to improve for me.  I attended a row clinic put on by my local Orange Theory in Reston, Va where I improved my row form and learned several things about rowing I did not know before. 

Whatever your goal is, treat it like a subject you’re studying. There's an abundance of information out there—take advantage of it.  Then tweak it to you and your own style as you go. 

5. Test and Tweak Constantly

No strategy is perfect from the start. I treated the process almost like an experiment. Will I have greater improvement if focus on running and reducing my 5k time? Should I start lifting weights for my lower body (something I had not done in decades). Do I change the order of my training days?

Every adjustment helped – but some did more than others.  I was then able to take that information to focus my time and energy.  The key is to stay flexible and curious. Keep trying new things until you find something that really works for you. 

6. Commit Fully—But Detach from the Outcome

I trained hard. I tracked my progress. I stayed focused.

But here’s the truth: even if I hadn’t hit 40 minutes, the effort would still have been worth it.

Reaching for something challenging changes you. You gain discipline, resilience, and confidence. That growth is valuable regardless of the final number on the stopwatch.

7. Celebrate the Win

While coming into the event I was pretty certain I was not going to hit my goal time – somewhat serendipitously —I ran 40:00 exactly!

And yet, part of me immediately thought, What’s next?

That’s a common trap. In a world that moves quickly, we often rush past our own accomplishments.  Which is part of the reason I am writing this.  To celebrate my win. 

Take time to pause. Reflect. Celebrate. Mark the moment with intention. If your goal had a specific endpoint—a race day, an event, a deadline—then that is your summit. Stand on it for a bit before you hike the next mountain. 

Even if you do not hit your goal exactly – appreciate the journey and direction you are heading. 

Final Thoughts

Whatever your next goal is—fitness, finance, career, or personal—I hope these seven principles help guide your path.

Define it. Share it. Plan for it. Learn everything you can. Adapt as needed. Show up fully. And when you get there - take a moment to really appreciate the journey. 

You earned it.

What is your next goal?  I would love to hear about it.

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GuidePoint Financial Planning - A Reston Virginia Financial Advisor

Ryan Phillips, CFA, CFP® is the founder of GuidePoint Financial Planning. He is passionate about helping busy families plan, save, and invest for their financial future. Contact him today if you are interested in learning more about the benefits of working with a fee-only (no-commission) financial planner.

All material above is for educational purposes only and is no way a recommendation to buy or sell investment securities. You should always review investment and financial changes with qualified professionals. The data referenced is very short-term in nature and is used for educational means.