It’s January. The gym is packed.
Come back in three weeks. It will be empty.
Why? Because motivation is a finite resource. It burns hot and fast, then it burns out.
This is why most “Financial Resolutions” fail by February. We rely on Willpower to make the right choice every day.
The Financial Zen approach is different.
We don’t rely on willpower. We rely on Systems.
Winners and losers have the same goals. Every investor wants to retire rich. The goal isn’t the differentiator. The system is.
If you want Financial Zen in 2026, stop focusing on the number. Focus on the machine that gets you there.
Here are 5 ways to swap a Goal for a System today:
Goal: “Save $50k.” System: Auto-transfer $1925 to savings before the money hits your checking account.
Goal: “Stop overspending.” System: Delete the Amazon app and remove saved credit cards from your browser. Add friction.
Goal: “Get out of debt.” System: Automate the minimum payment on all cards so you never miss one. Then auto-transfer extra cash to the highest interest ones weekly.
Goal: “Max out my 401k.” System: Click the “Auto-Escalation” button on your 401(k). Increase your contribution (including Mega Backdoor Roth) by 1% every year.
Goal: “Increase my Financial IQ.” System: Unsubscribe from retail emails (Gap, Best Buy). Subscribe to one financial newsletter like Ben Carlson’s “A Wealth of Common Sense”
Change your input, change your output.
Your Move:
Take your biggest financial hope for 2026.
Ask yourself: “What is one automated action I can set up today that makes this result inevitable?”
Do that. Then go enjoy your life.
That’s Financial Zen.