Take A Simple Idea

"You do not rise to the level of your goals. You fall to the level of your systems."
- James Clear

Most people think financial success comes down to discipline.

• Budget harder
• Spend less
• Be better with money
• Work harder
• Earn more
• Put more hours in
• Get a promotion

But that's not how it actually works.

The people who build wealth consistently are not more disciplined.
They just have better systems.

They've removed the need to make the same decision over and over again.

 Our brains are not built for this.

Every day, you're making thousands of choices. By the end of the day, you're tired. It's called decision fatigue.

That's when the small decisions start to slip:

• "I'll invest when I have more."
• "It's just a small amount of money. It'll never matter."
• "I'll just order in. Get an Uber. Let's DoorDash it."

Every little bit matters.
But relying on willpower to get it right every time is exhausting. And unrealistic.

Systems work better when they're designed to run 'downhill'.
- John Gall, a systems 'genius'

Meaning, if we minimize friction, momentum will carry us forward with little effort. In contrast, 'uphill systems' require effort, pushing, oversight, and energy.

The old way says: "Try harder."

The better way (at least when it comes to investing) says: "Make it automatic."

How can we build systems that help us build our wealth, regardless of what else is going on in our lives?

Some simple ways to start:

• Set up automatic transfers into savings
• Automatically invest a set amount each month
• Put recurring expenses on autopay
• Increase contributions when your income increases

Slightly more complex:

• Spend 30 mins each week putting all expenses into a spreadsheet for tax season
• Pay an extra 10% towards principal (automatically) on debt you want to pay down
• Set up one credit card with a recurring payment on it and sit back and wait for your credit score to go up
• Find a source of recurring revenue and see if you can scale it

Make one. good. decision. once. And let the system carry it forward.

Because the truth is:

You don't build wealth by being perfect every day. You build wealth by putting the right systems in place once, checking on them every so often, and then letting them work for you.

Tell me what systems you're using. I read and respond to every email!