I need to be honest.
Over the past year and a half, life got the best of me physically. In the “busyness” of work, family, and responsibility, I stopped doing the simple, consistent things that keep me healthy. My hip had been tight for months, and instead of addressing it, I ignored it. What began as mild discomfort eventually compounded into other mobility issues. By putting it off, I turned a small, manageable issue into a bigger problem.
That realization was humbling, especially because every week I sit across from clients and talk about the importance of consistency. I often remind people that meaningful progress rarely comes from one-time bursts of effort or a single bold decision. It comes from small, repeated actions that build over time. Whether in health or in wealth, what matters most is not what you do occasionally but what you do consistently.
This principle is illustrated well in a story found in the book, The Man in the Mirror. If you drop a frog into boiling water, it will immediately jump out. But if you put a frog in lukewarm water and slowly turn up the heat, it will stay until it perishes. The danger comes not from one dramatic event but from gradual, unnoticed changes. That is how my hip tightness developed. That is how financial problems develop too. Ignoring small issues, thinking they will resolve themselves, can eventually lead to a boiling point where the consequences are unavoidable.
Behavioral science explains why this happens. Human beings are prone to what is called present bias. We focus on today’s comfort rather than tomorrow’s benefit. Loss aversion makes it worse. We feel the sting of loss more deeply than the joy of gain, which drives us to avoid uncomfortable tasks. For me, it meant skipping the daily stretches/exercises that would have protected my mobility. For many high-net-worth families, it looks like delaying tax planning, ignoring portfolio rebalancing, or postponing estate conversations. Avoidance may feel easier, but over time it compounds into far greater challenges.
The answer is not intensity. It is consistency. For my hip, that means stretching and regular movement. For a financial life, it means creating structure and routines that keep you disciplined: automated savings and giving, scheduled portfolio reviews, proactive tax strategies, and intentional family wealth planning. These habits are the equivalent of stretching every morning. They do not seem dramatic in the moment, but they keep the water from ever reaching a boil.
Over time, consistency compounds. In health, it creates strength, flexibility and longevity. In wealth, it creates confidence, security, and the ability to leave a meaningful legacy. Higher-net-worth families face unique challenges – estate planning, intergenerational wealth transfer, distribution strategies, and charitable giving – but the principle remains the same regardless of your net worth. Progress and preservation come from small, faithful steps taken over and over again.
From a Christian perspective, this is what stewardship looks like. Scripture reminds us in Luke 16 that “He who is faithful in a very little thing is faithful also in much…” Personally, God calls us to faithfulness, not perfection. When we show up daily in both our health and our finances, we not only preserve what has been entrusted to us, we position ourselves to bless others and live generously.
So, if you are wondering what the best workout is for your finances, the answer is simple. It is the one you will do consistently. Whether it is gradually increasing retirement contributions, setting up a giving plan, or finally sitting down to create a purposeful estate strategy, the steps may feel small, but they are the ones that change everything over time.
Movement is medicine, and consistency is what makes it work. Just like the frog in the pot, ignoring gradual change can be dangerous. I’ve personally been working on dropping the word “busy” from my vocabulary and instead am choosing consistent, purposeful actions and relationships that actually nudge me forward. Join me in this pursuit – you won’t regret it!
