Habits, Horses, and Healthy Finances

“The horse is a creature of habit. If you can change his habits, you can change his whole outlook on life.”

-Buck Brannaman

Habits run our lives more than we realize. Just like a horse learns what you teach it, good or bad, our daily routines shape the way we handle money.

There’s a simple idea called the habit loop:

• Cue (the trigger)

• Routine (what you do)

• Reward (what you get out of it)

For me, it looks like this. My cue is the alarm clock. The routine is putting the coffee on, letting the dogs out, heading to the barn, then coming back inside. The reward is sitting down with that hot cup of coffee while I watch the sunrise. It happens almost without thinking now because I’ve done it so many times.

Okay, I’m going to get a little nerdy with you for a second. Researchers say our brains are wired to love efficiency. When we repeat a behavior in the same pattern, the brain starts to save energy by turning it into a shortcut. That’s why habits feel automatic. They’ve been filed away in the brain’s “easy button” system. The tricky part is, your brain doesn’t care if it’s a good habit or a bad one. It just remembers the loop.

Money works the same way. Let’s say your cue is getting paid on Friday. The routine could be setting aside 10% into savings. The reward is the peace of knowing you’re building a cushion. Do that over and over and saving money becomes second nature.

The good news is, if a habit isn’t serving you, you can rework the loop. Swap out the routine for something healthier. Instead of checking your bank app and stressing, maybe you set a time each week to look it over, celebrate what’s working, and adjust where needed.

Habits don’t change overnight, but just like a horse that learns one step at a time, consistency pays off. Build the right loops and before long, your finances will start working with you instead of against you.