Sola Adesakin 
There is a simple but powerful truth about wealth building: investing is renting discomfort today so you can own comfort tomorrow. Every act of investment requires you to give up something now—time, money, convenience, or even short-term pleasure—for the promise of something greater in the future. Yet this is where many people struggle. We want the rewards of financial freedom, but we are often unwilling to make the trade-offs that lead us there.
Think about it: waking up earlier to learn a new skill, denying yourself an unnecessary purchase so you can buy an asset, or forgoing a flashy lifestyle so you can build equity. These choices don’t always feel good at the moment, but they are the seeds of prosperity. The sacrifice of today is the freedom of tomorrow.
Why discomfort is necessary
Human nature is wired for immediate gratification. We want to see results quickly, and when we don’t, we often abandon the process. But building wealth is not about speed; it’s about consistency and patience. Discomfort is what stretches you, disciplines you, and reminds you that growth is rarely painless.
Investing is uncomfortable because it goes against the grain of “enjoy it now.” But the people who embrace this discomfort—whether by saving diligently, taking calculated investment risks, or reinvesting business profits instead of spending them—are the ones who create lasting comfort for themselves and generations after them.
The sacrifice spectrum
Not all sacrifices are the same. For some, it may mean cutting down daily spending habits. For others, it might be redirecting money meant for luxury into real estate, stocks, or a retirement fund. It could also mean sacrificing your ego by starting small when others around you are flaunting big wins.
The truth is, sacrifice is not loss; it is redirection. What you deny yourself today is not disappearing—it is being repositioned to yield returns tomorrow. For instance, the N5,000 you would spend weekly on impulsive purchases can, if invested consistently, grow into hundreds of thousands over time.
Comfort is not just money
When we talk about tomorrow’s comfort, it goes beyond financial ease. Comfort means peace of mind, the freedom to make choices without financial anxiety, the ability to send your children to good schools, to retire without fear, to support causes you believe in, and to live life on your terms. That freedom doesn’t happen by accident. It is purchased—day by day—through the discomfort of wise investing.
Practical ways to rent discomfort today
Automate your savings and investments – remove the temptation to spend by putting money aside before you see it.
Cut back on non-essentials – small sacrifices like eating out less or downgrading luxury subscriptions can free up capital for investing.
Delay gratification – before you buy, ask yourself: “Is this expense moving me closer to wealth or further away?”
Educate yourself – sometimes discomfort comes in the form of learning new, complex things like financial instruments, markets, or digital assets. Push through it.
Reinvest instead of spending profits – if you run a business, let your money work for you instead of draining it on short-term pleasures.
The ultimate reward
At the heart of this principle is a mindset shift. Wealthy people don’t necessarily have more opportunities; they simply make harder choices today. They choose discipline over indulgence, and tomorrow, they enjoy freedom while others are still trapped in financial cycles.
So, as you think about your financial journey, ask yourself: What discomfort am I willing to rent today to own true comfort tomorrow? Because comfort is not bought in the future—it is rented in the present. And every small, intentional sacrifice you make now is building the freedom you will one day enjoy.
Sola Adesakin is a highly respected wealth coach and chartered accountant with over two decades of transformative impact in the finance industry. As the visionary founder of Smart Stewards Financial Advisory Limited and Smart Stewards Advisory LLC, she has revolutionised the financial wellbeing of countless individuals and businesses across 40 countries. Her methodical approach to ‘make-manage-multiply’ money principles has elevated many from financial stress to prosperity, and mediocrity to exceptional achievement.