atomic habits meets the barefoot investor

“I’ve got a surprise for you”, said my old boss, who was over for lunch at the farm.

He’d been cleaning out his garage earlier that week and found something he thought I’d want to see.

He pulled out a cassette tape with “Barefoot Investor Episode 1” scribbled in Sharpie – a recording of my very first university radio show. And he’d even bought a cassette player from the local op shop so we could all listen to it.

My eldest held the cassette like a relic from another age, while my youngest poked at the Sanyo stereo, completely baffled. So I grabbed his little finger and pressed it down on the plastic play button. My voice crackled through the tiny tin speakers.

We all listened to the show. It was rough around the edges. Somewhat juvenile. But the real kicker? It was the same advice I’m giving now, almost 25 years later:

Live below your means. Pay yourself first. Don’t go into debt for stuff that loses value. Invest in low-cost funds and stay the course.

Same then. Same now. Same in another 25 years.

So, if the advice is timeless, here’s the real question:

Why the hell am I still doing it?

And, more to the point, why isn’t everyone rich?

Because, even though the advice does not change, the person hearing it does need to change – and what needs to change is how they see themselves.

Most people are stuck trying to be good with money. Wrestling with it. Fighting their nature. Relying on willpower and weekend motivation. That’s exhausting.

So how do you actually change?

James Clear, author of the multi-million-selling Atomic Habits, nails it:

“True behaviour change is identity change.”

Without realising it, my own bestselling book helped people do exactly this.

Within a few pages, people were sitting down with a glass of wine and switching to a better bank account. Basic? Maybe. But for many, it was their first good money decision ever.

And every time they opened their wallet that little Orange card reinforced the belief that they were good with money. Once they took on that belief and kept working through the steps, their confidence grew.

As James Clear also says:

“Every action you take is a vote for the type of person you wish to become.”

The beautiful thing about that crackling cassette tape? It reminded me that good money advice is timeless. It doesn’t need updating, revolutionising or disrupting. It just needs someone willing to become the person who follows it.

So, who are you becoming?

Tread Your Own Path!