The Least Disciplined Of All

Picture this: you’re in a darkened auditorium filled with a hushed audience, shifting nervously in their folding chairs as they glance at each other warily. The only light in the room illuminates the stage, where some dude yells at everyone with gusto and exaggerated hand movements. That man drew such a crowd after promising to deliver the secrets of financial literacy, which enabled him to save over six figures of wealth at a very young age. He paces atop his elevated platform, grimacing at those hoping to dig themselves out of debt or just learn how to save a little money.

“I’ll tell you the secret to financial success,” he crows, mouth uncomfortably close to the microphone. “If you can’t use magic, do everything that I did. You only eat food you pilfered from wedding buffets when no one is looking, or lentils you grew yourself in the bathroom. You live in the library during the day and a 24-hour gym at night – those mats are comfy, and there’s no rent to pay. Most importantly, you need discipline to see this through. PUT YOURSELF THROUGH THE WRINGER SO YOU WILL NEVER BE BEHOLDEN TO ANYONE EVER AGAIN. According to my obsessive calculations you only need to do this for five years straight! SLEEP ON THOSE SWEATY MATS AND EAT THAT GRIMY FOOD WITH PRIDE. ANYONE CAN DO IT!!”

It’s at this point this financial guru pauses to take a breath, spotting me in the corner. I lift one hand in a lazy greeting, the other holding some amazing avocado toast I’m currently eating. On the table in front of me is a huge bowl of nachos, with my signature guac both dumped over the chips and in a smaller bowl to the side for dipping. It is unclear where I got the food from. Ditto for the table.

“HA! LOOK AT THIS JOKER WHO CAN’T EVEN GIVE UP THE FINER THINGS FOR FINANCIAL SUCCESS! YOU CAN BET SHE’S NEVER STEPPED FOOT IN A 24-HOUR GYM! LOOK AT THAT IPHONE! LOOK AT THAT TOAST!” The guru is about to have an aneurysm from all the money rules I’m breaking. “THAT WOMAN HAS NO DISCIPLINE TO SPEAK OF!!!”

“Sure don’t,” I respond cheerfully, swallowing the last of my toast and digging into the nachos. “But you don’t need that much discipline to reach six figures of wealth in your twenties.”

Now I’ve set him off; his face turns as red as the diced tomatoes in my guacamole. “WHAT MAKES YOU SAY THAT?!” he splutters out, clearly not having expected his speech to go off the rails.

The audience, newly enraptured, gawp between him and my nachos. One of us has sustenance, the other does not. They’re suddenly wondering which one they should listen to, the self-proclaimed expert or the new challenger in their midst.

I smile wide, unruffled by the stares cast my way. “I say that,” I reply, “because I lived it.” I hold up the bowl of guac, making sure everyone’s got a chance to eyeball its contents. “You’ve all seen me feasting on this, right?”

They nod, entranced.

“I got this extra with the nachos. I might be the least disciplined of all. And I still have over a hundred thousand dollars to my name at 25 years old.”

The crowd is in an uproar as the lights snap back on, throwing everyone and their folding chairs into the light. The stage man tries to say something but no one can hear him over the chatter as they flit over to my table in the corner.

They’re hungry.

And not just for the nachos.

My Newsflash to the Masses

You might get discouraged when you see others do what you can’t replicate. Maybe you have the discipline needed to do these things, and maybe you don’t want to get rid of the nicer things like extra guac at Chipotle. I’m not judging you at all. But just know that you don’t need to have the discipline of the Karate Kid to get a better life and keep more of your money.

Heck, if we’re talking about the least disciplined finance person here, it’s me! I will happily take that moniker as the least disciplined person in finance! My point is, you don’t have to be rigidly disciplined for years and years to make this work. It definitely accelerates you getting to wealth, sure, but it’s not sustainable or healthy. All you need is a little bit more discipline, and that’s just to get used to healthy habits. Be mindful about where your money’s going. Grow your skillset to earn a higher salary. Go thrift shopping. Heck, GET OUT OF THE HOUSE AND DO SOMETHING FUN! I do all of these things and have an amazing life. A rich life. And this doesn’t have to be humiliating or painful to do.

Even the least disciplined person is better than one with no discipline at all. I want you to start small and keep building. No one’s going to disparage you if you fall off the wagon as long as you try again the next day.

Let’s keep going. You got this.