3543: It’s The Small Changes That Make You Rich by Chris Reining on Consistent Financial Growth

[00:00:00] Dell PCs with Intel inside are built for the moments that matter. For the moments you plan and the ones you don't. Built for the busy days that turn into all night study sessions. The moment you're working from a cafe and realize every outlet's taken. The times you're deep in your flow and the absolute last thing you need is an auto update throwing off your momentum. That's why Dell builds tech that adapts to the way you actually work. Built with long lasting batteries so you're not scrambling for the moment.

[00:00:30] the closest outlet. And built in intelligence that makes updates around your schedule not in the middle of it. They don't build tech for tech sake, they build it for you. Find technology built for the way you work at Dell.com slash Dell PCs. Built for you. This is Optimal Finance Daily. It's The Small Changes That Make You Rich by Chris Reining of chrisreining.com.

[00:01:00] I'm gambling at a casino in the Wisconsin Dells because I told a friend I'd meet him there. I'm not a gambler, but you don't go to a casino and not gamble. So I'm playing $1 roulette. Roulette is what you play when you don't know how to play anything.

[00:01:17] I'm starting with $40. After a few rounds, I'm up to $60. And after a few more, I'm down to $50. And that's when I tell myself, I'm putting $10 on 24 because I can lose and walk away with the $40 I started with.

[00:01:33] So I stack 10 chips on 24. And the dealer spins the wheel and the ball bounces around and around and lands on 24. Everyone at the table starts high-fiving me and then the dealer pushes $350 in chips across the table. What do I do? I tip them $10 and walk away.

[00:01:54] And walking away was really hard because everyone was telling me I had to stay. But I had a plan and sticking to my plan was more important to me because I always have to prove to myself I have self-discipline. It seems like every time I talk about self-discipline, I come to the same conclusion. It's a muscle that needs to be exercised. And it's a really important muscle if you want to be rich.

[00:02:20] I see this from my coaching clients. They tell me they made a million dollars over the last 10 years and they have nothing to show for it. And it makes them sick. And I know, they know, if they don't start making changes, it'll be the same thing 10 years from now. Now, I'm not saying having money is everything, but most of us are making a choice every day between creating a future where we're rich and creating a future where we're poor.

[00:02:47] And the way to create a future where you're rich is with self-discipline. Some of my clients aren't willing to give anything up to get what they want. So I try getting them to see that they don't have to make big changes, just small ones. Like I tell them if they save $5 a day for 35 years, that's $64,000.

[00:03:07] They say, so what? So I tell them if they invest their $5 a day and get a return of 7%, then after 35 years, they'll have $270,000. And if they save $10 a day for 35 years and invest it at 7%, they'll have $540,000. Half a million just for $10 a day. And if they increase it to $20 a day, they'll have $1,080,000.

[00:03:37] What I'm really trying to get them to see is that if they saved $5 a day, they wouldn't have to live paycheck to paycheck and never have any options with their life. I mean, what's $5 when people waste money on all sorts of stuff? Like I'm reading this thread on Reddit about what people waste money on. And they're saying bottled water and strawberry top cutters and psychics and eating out every day and gambling.

[00:04:03] So if you really want to learn self-discipline, you need to start making small, manageable changes. Because small, manageable changes will improve your ability to make big changes without trying as hard. Years ago, I wanted to become a minimalist. And becoming a minimalist means intentionally living with less stuff. But where do you start when you don't know what to throw away first? One way is to stop buying new stuff. So I just stopped buying new stuff.

[00:04:31] And because I take everything to the logical extreme, I'd be running out of napkins. And because I couldn't buy more napkins, I'd start using paper towels. And then I'd be running out of paper towels. And because I couldn't buy more paper towels, I'd just wipe my hands on the kitchen towel that was already there. Now I live without napkins and paper towels. That might seem crazy to you because it seems crazy to me.

[00:04:55] But what I learned is that making these small, manageable changes improves your ability to change the big things. Like now, I'm testing living without a car. I'm taking the bus and riding my bike and walking a mile to meet up with friends. And they can't believe I walked a mile. But is walking a mile really that unbelievable? I don't know. Maybe because everyone drives so no one knows how to walk anymore. Or maybe because I don't know how far is too far when it comes to self-discipline.

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[00:08:01] I think Chris had some good thoughts here on self-discipline. For me, self-discipline is about tricking myself into a desired action, and the key is starting small. So for example, I struggle with procrastination due to perfectionism. At times, it's really problematic. But if I can trick myself into a mindset of curiosity, it can help me just to get started.

[00:08:26] I tell myself that I'm just going to peek at a document, or Google this one thing, and next thing you know, I'm completing a task. Lately, I've been trying to get myself back into going to hot yoga consistently. The way I'm approaching it is just focusing on getting there, and then not pushing myself at all during the class. I'm focused on stretching, moving, and breathing, not exertion.

[00:08:51] My goal is to make getting there feel effortless, and then over time, I can challenge myself more. I have to remind myself often that achieving big things is more about small, consistent action than it is about unique talent, ability, or effort. That'll do it for today and another installment of Optimal Finance Daily. Have a happy Thursday. Thank you for being here every day and listening. And I'll see you on the Friday show tomorrow, where your optimal life awaits.