One of the biggest lessons I’ve learned over the last few years is this:
Goals don’t build wealth.
Systems do.
When people talk about success, they usually talk about ambition, motivation, or hustle. But what actually moves the needle over time isn’t a big burst of effort. It’s small, predictable, repeatable actions.
When you break a system down to its core, it’s just a habit.
And habits, repeated consistently, become momentum.
The Power of Small Movements
There’s that simple example people use: make your bed every morning. It sounds insignificant. But that one small act sets a tone. You start the day organized. You completed something. That mindset compounds.
In business and investing, the same principle applies.
I used to call myself a grinder. To me, that meant I would outlast the competition. I would stay consistent longer. I would keep going when others stopped.
Grinding isn’t chaos.
Grinding is consistency.
You pick something realistic, and you do it every day.
Not perfectly.
Not dramatically.
Just consistently.
Turning Habits Into Systems
Take my eBay reselling as an example.
My goal is simple: at least one listing per day.
But I don’t physically force myself to create exactly one listing every single day. That’s inefficient because some days I’m in the zone and can list 10 items quickly. Other days I’m busy or mentally elsewhere.
So I batch.
When I’m in listing mode, I might create multiple listings and schedule them out. That way, from the outside, my store shows daily activity. One listing per day, consistently, indefinitely.
That consistency is the system.
The habit is listing regularly.
The system is scheduling strategically.
The result is momentum without burnout.
Be Realistic With Your Grind
Back when I was doing web development for clients, blogs were a big part of marketing. New clients would come in excited and say things like, “We’re going to publish five blog posts a day.”
I’d always ask the same question:
What is a realistic number you can sustain for the rest of your life?
Five posts a day isn’t a grind. It’s a sprint. And sprints burn out.
If the real number is one post per week, then build your system around one post per week. If you’re feeling inspired and write 10, great. Schedule them. But your grind goal should be sustainable.
That applies to everything:
- Blogging
- Reselling
- Stock research
- Sourcing inventory
- Building equity assets
Sustainable beats intense.
The 1% Rule
There’s a concept called Kaizen, which focuses on continuous improvement. Improve 1% per day.
That sounds small. Almost insignificant.
But over time, it’s transformative.
Some days you’ll improve 30%. Some days you’ll feel flat. But if you can avoid 0% days, you’re winning.
Arnold Schwarzenegger once said something similar about training: never have a 0% day. Even if you don’t feel like working out, do one pushup. That way you didn’t quit.
That’s the mindset.
In business terms, maybe you don’t feel like listing. List one item.
Maybe you don’t feel like researching stocks. Read one article.
Maybe you don’t feel like writing. Outline one paragraph.
One pushup.
That’s the grind.
Break Big Goals Into Small Systems
It’s easy to overwhelm yourself with a giant pile of “things to do.”
Launch a blog.
Build passive income.
Fund a growth account.
Find equity assets.
Research stocks.
Flip items.
If you try to attack all of it emotionally, you’ll stall.
Instead, break it down into small, scheduled habits.
- One listing per day
- One blog post per week
- Two sourcing trips per week
- Thirty minutes of market research per day
Small. Predictable. Repeatable.
Over time, those habits evolve into systems.
And systems create compounding results.
The Grind Isn’t Loud
The grind is boring.
It’s repetitive.
It’s structured.
It’s not glamorous.
But it works.
Zero to Hero isn’t about big swings. It’s about daily consistency. About building habits that turn into systems that turn into assets.
Never have a 0% day.
Improve 1%.
Then do it again tomorrow.
