Tired of Resolutions Failing? Build Money Habits That Actually Last!

Speaker A00:00:00

Are you tired of resolutions that fall apart by January 10th? Friend, you're not alone. And here's the truth. Resolutions fade, but habits stick.So this year, instead of building hype, let's build what actually lasts. Let's take the weight off. Let's slow things down and start shaping habits that can carry you all year long.That's what I'm going to cover on today's show. Hey, friend. Ralph Estep Jr. Here.Welcome to the Financially Confident Christian, where every day we learn how to walk through life and walk through money with wisdom, with peace, and with a heart anchored in God's truth. My mission here is simple. To help you break that cycle of financial shame and build steady habits rooted in faith.Become the kind of Christian who handles money with clarity, with confidence, and spiritual purpose. If you're new here, welcome home. And if you're returning, I'm grateful you came back.Yesterday, we talked about priorities, those things that matter the most in 2026. Today, we're going to shift from priorities to patterns. Because resolutions might inspire you for a moment, but habits transform you for a lifetime.A listener asked Ralph, every year I start strong, but the habits never last. How do I make changes that actually stick? This time? That frustration is real. You're not the only one feeling it today.Some lose momentum by January 10th, some by January 3rd, and some, let's be honest, by day two. For me, it's like by hour two. That doesn't mean something's wrong with you. We've all been there. January motivation hits us hard.We see it on the calendar. We're energized. We're ready. We're hopeful. But then life gets busy.That stress builds, those old rhythms return, and the new habits, they just fall apart. And then you feel defeated, you feel disappointed. You feel like, oh, I failed again. But hear me on this. Hear me loud and clear.Nothing is wrong with you. There's something wrong with your systems. You don't rise to the level of your goals. You fall to the level of your habits.That's right, from James Clear. He nailed that in a book called Atomic Habits, and research says the exact same thing.Those small, automatic habits outperform big resolutions every single time. Why? Because motivation is emotional. But habits, they're structural.And when you automate the right things, your system does the work, even when your motivation disappears and automation increases consistently by up to 70%. That's not hype. That's hope. And for decades, I've helped people build financial systems that truly last. And I've noticed Something powerful.The people who make the most progress are not the most motivated. They're the most consistent. And that consistency comes from habits. You no longer have to think about that.Automation builds discipline without draining your energy. And it gives your future self a gift. Hey, you want a future self gift? Here's how you do it. Today, listener told me this.She said, ralph, I quit making resolutions. I just automated my habits. Here's what she automated.She set up a weekly savings transfer automatically, A monthly giving amount automatic, a recurring debt payment and a recurring retirement deposit. She said this. She said, ralph, I stopped trying harder and started setting up systems that carried me.One year later, she was saving more, she was giving more. And hey, she was stressing less. Not because she was more motivated, because she had more structure. She had systems.So how do you build money habits that actually last? How do you create changes that stay strong long after January fades? Let's break it down. I've got some gentle and simple ways to do it.Number one, start tiny. I want you to spend less than two minutes. If a habit's too big, guess what? You're not going to stick to it.Not because you're weak, but because life is full and big habits collapse under real pressure. But a habit that takes two minutes or less, that's a habit that lives, in my experience. Here's some examples.You open your banking app every morning while the coffee is brewing, just long enough to stay where, hey, you see what's going on? Or maybe you log one transaction from yesterday. Not perfect bookkeeping, just one little act of clarity.Or maybe, like clients have said before, you pause before a purchase and whisper, lord, guide this decision. Or maybe you move $5 into savings to find financial equivalent of planting a seed you'll thank yourself for later.Those tiny habits might seem insignificant, but tiny is spiritual, tiny is sustainable. And tiny is how lifelong change begin. It starts in those tiny steps and then automate what motivation can't sustain.Motivation is loud at the beginning, like the first of the year. It's great, right? But then it gets quiet when life gets messy. But automation doesn't care if you're tired, it doesn't care if you're stressed.It doesn't care if you're discouraged or distracted. It just keeps going when your emotions don't. Here's some great examples.Let's say your savings transfer happens every Friday, even on the weeks you forgot. Or you set that tithe up to run automatically. Just a quiet act of worship built into your rhythm.Maybe your focus is those debt payments that debt payment goes out the same day every month. No decision fatigue. I love this with retirement. Your retirement deposits show up every paycheck.Just small deposits that grow into big testimonies over time. Or maybe your bills pay themselves. Remove that fear of that collector call. Or that, did I miss something again?Because the automation guards your goals from your mood. And it protects your progress when you're not feeling strong. And listen, we're all being honest. Sometimes we don't feel too strong. Are we?Here's another great idea. Attach those new habits to old rhythms. We talked about this habit stacking. Habits stick when they're tied to something you already do.Without thinking, you're not creating a new routine. You're attaching meaning to routines you already have. Like, maybe during your morning coffee, you checked yesterday's spending.Or on your commute, you pray for wisdom over today's decisions. Or during your lunch break, you move one small amount into savings. Or maybe during your evening routine, you review tomorrow's money task.Or during that bedtime prayer, you thank God for one provision from the day. Those new habits need anchors, those steady moments that hold them in place and track your streaks. Not perfection.Perfection kills momentum before it even begins. But streaks. Streaks build identity. Streaks. Whisper. You're doing it. Look, you're showing up. Tell yourself literally out loud. I'm someone who shows up.I'm someone who saves. I'm someone who grows. I'm someone who honors God with my daily habits. Track those days you showed up, not the days you fell short.When you miss a day, don't start over. You simply continue the story. Because consistency beats intensity every single time. Which leads us to Galatians, chapter 6, verse 9.Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest. If we do not give up, those habits are sowing. Freedom is the harvest, and you will reap if you do not quit. How about we pray together?Lord, thank you for the gift of consistency. Help me build habits that honor you. Help me build habits that strengthen me to stay faithful in the small things. Guide my steps, guide my habits.Guide my heart. And I ask this in Jesus name. Amen. Okay, here's your action step for today. I want you to just choose one habit to automate this week. Just one. Not 15.Just one. Here's some examples. Automate that $25 savings. Automate that giving. Automate that debt payment. Automate that retirement deposit.And let your system carry the weight when your motivation never could. And before we wrap up today, listen to what one member shared after joining our community. I joined because I was tired of feeling like a failure.I needed a place where I could grow without judgment. The daily prompts calm my mind, the prayers strengthened my heart and the encouragement lifts my spirit.The fact that it's free stunned me and the optional support never feels pressured. I'm learning, I'm healing, and I'm not walking alone anymore. Friend, you don't have to walk alone anymore either.I'm going to encourage you to join our community. Go to financiallyconfidentchristian.com/join again. That's financiallyconfidentchristian.com/join friend, you don't need more motivation.You just need more rhythms. You don't need more intensity. You need more consistency. Your habits will shape your harvest. So build slowly, build gently, but build faithfully.Go out there today and be the financially confident Christian that I know you can be. You can do this. I have confidence in you. Have confidence in yourself. Stay financially savvy. God bless you and I'll see you again on tomorrow's show.