Sola Adesakin 
As the year winds down, many of us start reviewing our goals. We look back to January with mixed emotions; some pride, some regret, and often a silent question hanging in the air: “Where did the money go?”
It is a familiar pattern. Every year, we enter with strong dreams and a fired-up energy for change. We will save more. We will invest more. We will track every naira. And then life happens; invitations, impulsive shopping, emergency spending, and the ever-present pressure to upgrade our lifestyle faster than our income.
One truth remains constant: money grows where discipline lives.
Discipline is the quiet engine behind every financial success story. It is not glamorous. It does not trend. But it works, always.
Discipline looks like choosing a home-cooked meal instead of yet another takeaway.
It looks like saying “not this month” to that shiny new item that promises happiness.
It sounds like, “I’ll invest before I spend.”
Financial growth isn’t just a function of how much you earn, it’s built on how well you control what you keep.
As the festive season approaches, spending can easily get out of hand. December has a way of tempting even the most careful saver; with travel, events, sales, and the desire to “enjoy life” because the year has been tough.
Enjoyment is good. You deserve rest, celebration, and laughter. But enjoyment without boundaries leads to January panic, that familiar broke feeling many have nicknamed “Detty December, Dry January.”
The goal is not to stop spending; the goal is to spend intentionally so your finances don’t suffer consequences in the New Year.
Here are three powerful habits to adopt as the year closes:
1. Cut the Waste
Do a quick audit — where is your money leaking? Subscriptions you don’t use? Food waste? Transport inefficiencies? Emotional or impulsive purchases?
Cutting waste is not punishment, it’s repositioning your money for better purposes.
2. Save Smart
Even if the year didn’t go as planned, start where you are.
Set a December savings goal: small or big, just intentional.
Automate it if possible.
Think of it as giving your future self a gift; the gift of financial breathing room.
3. Invest Wisely
Any investment you don’t understand is not an opportunity, it’s a risk. Learn before you leap.
And if you already invest, challenge yourself to level up, diversify, review your goals, and plan how you want your money to perform in the coming year.
Here’s a mindset reset to carry forward: money doesn’t respect good intentions, it respects consistency.
A disciplined person with a modest income will build far more wealth than a high earner who refuses structure. One plays long-term games; the other plays short-term validation.
So as we round off the year, make a promise to yourself:
No more accidental finances.
No more waiting for January to start behaving like the person you want to become.
Strong financial decisions today create a confident tomorrow.
Your future self, the one who owns property, the one with peace of mind, the one who doesn’t panic at every bill is already cheering for you. That version of you will be grateful you chose discipline over impulse, planning over pressure, and growth over waste.
The year isn’t over yet. You can still finish strong.
Money grows where discipline lives.
Let your money have a home with you, and let discipline keep it thriving.
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 revolutionized 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.