3 Minutes Is All It Takes to Change Your Life

My Rich Nerds,

As the gunpowder settles from this morning’s festivities, a lot of us tell ourselves the same thing: this is the year I finally change. New year, new me, baby! Historically, this is where things start to go sideways. When people decide to change, they don’t ease into it, they swing from one extreme to the other and hope motivation carries them the rest of the way.

The gym is the clearest example. Every January, people who haven’t stepped foot inside one in months (or years) decide they’re suddenly a five-days-a-week, hour-long workout person. Statistically speaking, around 23% quit within the first week of January, and by the end of the month, that number jumps to 43%. Motivation starts high… and then poof.

Not because people are lazy, but because they aimed for an outcome instead of building a habit. Most people don’t fail due to a lack of discipline; they fail because the plan was never sustainable. What people actually need is consistency at a level that feels almost too easy to matter.

That’s why Diana (my AMAZING wife) and I are going to the gym for three minutes every weekday. Not to get ripped. Not to unlock our villain arc. Just to become people who go to the gym. Once that identity sticks, increasing the time is easy. The habit is the hard part. Money works the same way.

Most people don’t struggle with money because they don’t know what to do. They struggle because they try to do everything at once. They attempt a full budget overhaul, aggressive debt payoff, investing, a side hustle, a no-spend month, cold plunges, journaling, gratitude practices, and macro tracking, all at the same time. January enthusiasm turns into February burnout, and then they quit.

This year, let’s build habits that actually stick.

Here are a few to think about!

Roth IRA (Pay Your Future Self)

If you want to build wealth, you don’t need to wait until you feel “ready.” You need to start small and make it automatic. One simple step is setting up an automated Roth IRA contribution. If it works for you, $625 per month gets you to the annual max by the end of the year. If that number makes you uncomfortable, pick something smaller. Even $100 is a win. The goal isn’t perfection; it’s becoming someone who invests consistently.

Automation matters because it removes decision-making. You don’t have to rely on motivation or willpower every month. It just happens in the background. If you need help getting started, we walk you through Roth IRAs step-by-step on our YouTube channel. You can also open an account here if needed*.

Guilt-Free Spending (Pay Your Current Self)

Equally important, and far more overlooked, is paying yourself now, too. A lot of people save and invest responsibly, but beat themselves up for every dollar they spend. They second-guess purchases, feel guilty for enjoying money, and convince themselves that being “responsible” means deprivation. That mindset leads to burnout and, eventually, self-sabotage. It’s okay. Just buy the Snickers bar.

Decide ahead of time how much of your income is guilt-free spending — usually somewhere between 10% and 30%, depending on your goals — and actually allow yourself to use it. You’re allowed to care about your future and your present at the same time.

Real change doesn’t come from dramatic resolutions. It comes from small actions repeated often enough that they become who you are. Three minutes is enough to start. The habit does the rest.

*This is an affiliate link. I may earn a commission if you use it—at no extra cost to you.