Sola Adesakin 
If you can master brushing your teeth at night at least six times a week, you already have what it takes to put your finances in order.
That may sound like an odd comparison, but it is one of the most accurate ways to explain how financial success actually works. Contrary to popular belief, winning with money is not primarily about intelligence, advanced knowledge, or complex strategies. It is about behaviour.
Financial success is roughly 20% knowledge and 80% behaviour. What you do consistently matters far more than what you know theoretically.
Most people already “know” what to do with money. Save more. Spend less. Invest early. Avoid unnecessary debt. Build assets. Yet knowledge without execution changes nothing. Just like knowing the importance of brushing your teeth does not prevent cavities unless you actually do it.
Knowledge Is Cheap Behaviour Is Costly
We live in the most information-rich generation in history. Free podcasts, YouTube videos, online courses, books, and social media threads constantly explain how money works. The problem is not access to information. The problem is follow-through.
Behaviour requires discipline. It requires consistency when motivation is low. It requires choosing long-term benefit over short-term comfort. This is where many people struggle.
The reason brushing your teeth works as an example is simple: it is not complicated. It is not exciting. It does not give instant rewards. But it prevents future pain. Financial habits work the same way.
No one wakes up excited to track expenses or review bank statements. But avoiding those small actions creates bigger problems later.
Consistency Beats Intensity Every Time
Financial wins rarely come from dramatic, one-time actions. They come from boring, repeated decisions made over time.
Saving a small amount monthly beats waiting for a “big break.”
Investing modestly but consistently beats trying to time the market.
Spending consciously every day beats a once-a-year financial detox.
People often overestimate what they can do in one month and underestimate what they can do in five years. Consistency compounds. It quietly works in the background while life happens.
Just like brushing your teeth once a month will not protect your dental health, making financial decisions only when there is a crisis will not protect your future.
Good Habits Are More Powerful Than Motivation
Motivation is unreliable. Habits are dependable. You do not brush your teeth every night because you are motivated. You do it because it is part of your routine. Financial stability works the same way. When good money habits become automatic, progress happens even on difficult days.
Simple habits such as:
- Paying yourself first
- Reviewing spending weekly
- Setting up automated savings and investments
- Delaying impulse purchases
- Tracking goals monthly
These actions do not require genius. They require structure. The more decisions you automate, the less willpower you need. And the less willpower you need, the more consistent you become.
Small Neglect Creates Big Financial Problems
Skipping brushing your teeth once may not matter. Skipping it regularly leads to expensive consequences.
The same applies to money. Small financial neglect compounds negatively:
- Ignoring budgeting leads to constant cash shortages
- Avoiding savings leads to emergency debt
- Postponing investing leads to missed growth
- Living without goals leads to financial drift
Most financial stress is not caused by lack of income alone. It is caused by unmanaged habits.
Behaviour Creates Confidence
When your actions align with your goals, confidence grows. You feel calmer about money. You make clearer decisions. You are less reactive and more intentional.
Confidence does not come from knowing everything. It comes from showing up consistently.
Financial peace is not built in moments of excitement. It is built in quiet discipline.
The Real Financial Upgrade
If you want to win with money, stop searching for new information before mastering basic behaviours. Start small. Build routines. Focus on what you can repeat, not what you can impress with.
If you can commit to brushing your teeth most nights, you can:
- Save regularly
- Track your spending
- Invest consistently
- Build wealth steadily
The formula is not complicated. It is behavioural.
In the end, money does not reward intelligence alone. It rewards consistency, discipline, and habits done well over time.
And just like dental health, your future financial health depends less on what you know — and more on what you do every day.
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.