The 3 Most Overlooked Habits That Quietly Build Wealth

The 3 Most Overlooked Habits That Quietly Build Wealth

Over the years, we have studied what it actually takes to produce long‑term financial freedom.

We’ve read the research, interviewed people who built lasting wealth, and reflected on our own journey to financial independence aged 34.

Although life has many challenges, what we've learned is that most people never build wealth because they’ve never created a system for it.

They might save a bit here, invest a bit there, cut back when things feel tight, but without consistent habits, wealth never takes root.

Think of your body.

Your heart, lungs, and digestive system each work quietly in the background, keeping you alive without you even thinking about it.

Wealth works the same way. Your habits are the subsystems of your financial body.

On their own, each habit seems small.

But together, they form a powerful system that quietly keeps your financial life alive and strong, and over time, makes wealth inevitable.

The truth is, wealth isn’t about luck, timing, or even intelligence.

It’s about systems, and systems are powered by habits.

Build the right ones, and your money will work in the background just like your body does: silently, consistently, and for life.

Today, we'll share three habits, among others, that are frequently overlooked but transformational when applied consistently.

We’ll tell real, memorable stories that illustrate each habit, explain why they work, and give practical steps you can use to make these habits part of your life.

Note: We’ll be revealing something we’ve been creating quietly behind the scenes, designed to help you create systems for building wealth and transform the way millions approach their money. You’ll be among the very first to see it. Stay tuned.

We are Ken and Mary, founders of The Humble Penny and Financial Joy Academy. and authors of the Sunday Times Bestseller, Financial Joy, a 10-week plan to help you banish debt, grow your money and unlock financial freedom.

The 3 Most Overlooked Habits That Quietly Build Wealth

Let's dive in and unpack the 3 overlooked habits that quietly build wealth.

Habit 1 — Engineer your own luck

Wealthy people don’t just wait for opportunities to fall into their laps. They create them.

They get into rooms where important conversations happen, they experiment with bold approaches, and they build relationships deliberately.

In short: they make it easier for opportunity to find them.

Luck is preparation meeting opportunity.

Here are three stories that bring this to life:

Story 1 — Sir Richard Branson and the paper aeroplane

At a book launch for Richard Branson, someone wrote a business pitch on a sheet of paper, folded it into a paper aeroplane and tossed it toward the stage.

It landed on Branson. He opened it, read the pitch, admired the boldness, and promised to pass it to his team.

That paper plane opened a door because the person did something unusual and memorable.

Story 2 — Sitting By The Loo For Opportunity

Simon Squibb wanted to meet Richard Branson but found the normal routes ineffective.

A team member's girlfriend discovered Branson would be on a particular flight she worked on.

That team member took the initiative to book a seat in the upper class with his own money and then camped near the toilet for the duration of the flight.

8 hours later, when Branson got up to use the restroom, he noticed this team member working on his laptop and asked him, “young man, what are you working on?”.

That moment, engineered by careful thinking and a little patience, became the conversation that led to a relationship.

Story 3 — Steven Spielberg and the bathroom

Steven Spielberg, as a young person, once visited Universal Studios on a tour with others.

While on a tour break, he hid in a restroom at Universal Studios and let the tour continue.

He then came out and mingled with staff, and over time, even secured a pass with the librarian that gave him access throughout the summer holidays. 

Doing this helped him to create unusual proximity to the people who mattered and he used that proximity to learn, to connect, and to make opportunities happen for his career.

My own “engineer your luck” moment

I recently attended a business event, where several speakers I wanted to meet in person were presenting: Daniel Priestley, Simon Squibb, Rory Sutherland, Piers Linney, Lottie Whyte and others.

Planning for the event, I decided to take a very deliberate approach.

I brought five signed copies of our book Financial Joy, visualised my introductions while driving there, and arrived early for front‑row seats.

After each talk, I followed the speaker towards the VIP area where they were being led away and introduced myself.

I handed over a signed copy and a brief thank‑you.

All it took was just intentional presence, preparation and follow‑through.

Because I had shown up in person, the conversations that followed were deeper and will lead to new relationships and potential collaborations.

How to start engineering your own luck

Step 1: Decide whom you want to meet and why.

Identify three people who could genuinely change your trajectory in the next 12 months. Be specific about the value you could provide to them.

Step 2: Create an unusual approach.

Boldness stands out. A genuine, well‑thought‑out, unconventional approach, e.g. an unexpected gift, a creative pitch, or a memorable line, can open a door faster than a bland cold message.

Step 3: Be in the right rooms.

Pay and attend events, conferences, meetups, podcasts and workshops where the people you want to meet are likely to be.

Get there early. Sit near the front row and be visible.

Step 4: Prepare a short, natural pitch.

Don’t wing it. Rehearse a 15‑second intro: who you are, what you do, and a concrete reason you wanted to meet them.

Personalise it to the person and be ready to hand over something tangible (a book, a one‑page note, a small case study).

Plus, how you can serve or contribute to their work (so important!).

Step 5: Follow up with value.

After the meeting, send a brief note that references the moment you shared and provides something useful: a link to an article, a warm introduction, or a practical idea that solves a problem they mentioned.

Step 6: Measure proximity, not vanity.

Track how many meaningful conversations you have each month, not how many likes your post got.

Meaningful = a phone call, an exchange of resources, or a committed next step.

Common mistakes when trying to “engineer luck”

• Doing something unusual without thought e.g. quirky for quirks’ sake rarely works. Make sure your approach is intelligent and considerate.
• Trying to take without giving. The best connections are reciprocal. Always offer something first.
• Confusing quantity with quality. It’s far better to cultivate a handful of deep relationships than hundreds of shallow contacts.

Habit 2 — Stubborn consistency

Wealth is rarely built by one‑off brilliance.

More often it’s the compound effect of small actions performed repeatedly. I call this habit “stubborn consistency.”

It’s the willingness to keep showing up, month after month, even when the progress looks slow or invisible.

Stubborn consistency is the difference between someone who tries once and someone who builds a business, a following, or a financial freedom pot.

Lottie Whyte’s example

Lottie White, a co‑founder of MyoMaster and a former guest on Dragon's Den, was turned down 300 times before raising her first million.

Imagine being told again and again that you're not good enough or that your product is not one they want to invest in. Most people will be crushed.

But those 300 rejections are proof that persistence plus learning will find an opening.

Lottie obsessively focused on things other founders might ignore: she still took customer service calls as CEO to understand pain points, she drilled ad optimisation until returns improved, and she treated rejections as data, not verdicts.

This kind of gritty consistency created momentum.

Today, her business is on track to generate around £10m in revenue, and it wasn’t because of a single lucky break, it was because of repeated effort and refinement.

Why stubborn consistency works

• Compound interest of action. Monthly savings, ongoing content production, repeated outreach — each small input compounds into exponential results over time.
• Learning loops. Consistency allows you to gather feedback faster. The tenth version of your pitch is almost always better than the first, because you’ve learned what works and what doesn’t.
• Trust signals. Showing up over time builds credibility. Customers, investors and partners notice reliability.

How to cultivate stubborn consistency

Below are practical steps you can adopt this week to develop stubborn consistency in your finances, career or business.

i) Create a minimum viable routine.

Decide on a small, non‑negotiable action you can commit to daily or weekly.

Examples: automatic £200 or $300 monthly investment, publish one article per week, reach out to five prospects every Monday.

ii) Use systems, not willpower.

Automate savings and investments.

Schedule blocks in your calendar for content creation and networking.

Systems free up willpower for harder decisions.

iii) Track leading indicators.

Instead of obsessing over outputs only (revenue, net worth), measure behaviours: number of meals cooked at home vs takeaways, return visits from customers, ad optimisation tests run.

iv) Find accountability.

A partner, coach or mastermind helps you keep going on days when motivation dips.

v) Set horizons and milestones.

Don’t expect overnight change—plan 6, 12, 24 months and measure progress at those intervals.

Examples of stubborn consistency in everyday life

• Investing: set up a monthly direct debit into an ISA or investment account and increase it each year.
• Business: test one paid ad campaign per month, refine, and keep the winning campaigns running.
• Career: build a portfolio by contributing one high‑quality case study or project every quarter.
• Content: publish one blog/video every week for a year—give it time to compound and find an audience.

Habit 3 — Bouncing back

Even the best plans go sideways.

Investments fail, businesses stall, relationships break.

What separates those who ultimately build wealth from those who give up is not immunity to setbacks, but the ability to recover quickly and learn from them.

Resilience is not merely a trait you either have or don’t.

It’s a habit you can cultivate: a set of practices that make recovery faster and growth more likely.

Example: The Atomic Kitten story

One speaker I met used to be in a hugely successful girl band.

On the surface, she had a glamorous career.

Behind the scenes, she experienced postnatal depression, her career stalled, and many friendships evaporated.

Faced with a mountain of bills and little income, she could have given up entirely.

Instead, she took small steps to rebuild: seeking support, taking time to heal, learning new practical skills and relaunching herself by creating an independent record label.

That new venture didn’t erase the past but used lessons from it to form a stable, owned future.

Principles for bouncing back

• Acceptance without denial. Acknowledge the setback honestly. Denial wastes precious time.
• Diagnosis, not self-pity. Analyse what went wrong and what you control. Identify three specific lessons.
• Stabilise finances first. Triage cashflow: freezing non‑essential spending, negotiating bills, pausing discretionary payments, and finding urgent temporary income streams if needed.
• Rebuild with micro‑wins. Small, frequent successes rebuild confidence: a solved customer complaint, a paid coaching client, or a completed course.
• Secure the safety net. Build or rebuild an emergency fund, consider insurance where appropriate, and create redundancy in income streams.
• Prioritise recovery routines. Sleep, movement, social support and therapy or coaching speed emotional and cognitive recovery.
• Reframe failure. Treat setbacks as experiments with data—what didn’t work, why, and what you’ll do next differently.

A 30/60/90 recovery framework

First 30 days — stabilise.

Assess cash flow, freeze non‑essential spending, confirm immediate income sources, and create a 30‑day survival budget.

Next 60 days — rebuild skills and small wins.

Do one thing that results in income or progress each week: a freelance job, a pitch, or a product MVP. Reconnect with supportive people and professionals who can help.

90+ days — scale and harden your foundation.

Automate savings, rebuild reserves, set new consistent routines, and document lessons so you don’t repeat past mistakes.

Putting the three habits together: a simple 12‑week plan

These habits are most powerful when stacked and combined.

Below is a practical 12‑week blueprint to start making these habits work together.

Weeks 1–4: Engineer your luck.

• List five people who can help your trajectory and why.
• Plan two events to attend and prepare your 15‑second pitch for each person.
• Execute one unusual outreach (creative note, thoughtful video message, or a personalised gift) and track the response.

Weeks 5–8: Build stubborn consistency.

• Choose one behaviour to automate: investing, content creation, sales outreach.
• Create a calendar and block time for the behaviour each week.
• Set a measurable goal and a leading indicator (e.g., publish 4 pieces of content; invest £X per month; send 40 outreach emails).

Weeks 9–12: Harden resilience and recovery plans.

• Create a 30/60/90 recovery plan so that if things go wrong, you can act fast.
• Build or top up an emergency fund (aim for one month’s essential costs initially).
• Schedule a monthly personal review to capture learnings, adjust habits and plan next steps.

Templates to use right away

Here are three short templates you can adapt this week.

Elevator pitch (15 seconds)

“Hi, I’m [Name]. I help [target audience] solve [specific problem] by [what you do]. I’ve [short proof point]. I’d love to share one idea that could help you [specific benefit].”

Follow‑up note after an event (two lines)

“Hi [Name], lovely meeting you at [event]. I enjoyed our chat about [topic]. I promised to share this [article/idea/intro]—thought it might help with [problem]. Would you be open to a quick 15‑minute call next week?”

30‑day survival finance checklist

• List essential vs non‑essential monthly expenses.
• Pause unproductive subscriptions you can do without for 30 days.
• Contact big creditors to request temporary pause if needed.
• Find one quick income source (part‑time gig, sell unused items, freelance work, rent out spare room).
• Automate a £25 p/m or $50 p/m transfer to start rebuilding an emergency fund.

Common myths and mistakes

Myth 1: You need a high income to build wealth.

Not true. Income helps, but consistent saving, compounding and habit patterns are the engine.

People with modest incomes who automate savings and cultivate the right habits often outperform those with higher incomes but poor financial routines.

Myth 2: Wealth is only about investing.

Investments matter, but so do relationships, skills and resilience.

The three habits above show that soft skills and behaviours create the context for profitable decisions.

Mistake 1: Chasing shiny objects.

A new course, app or strategy isn’t a substitute for consistency.

Commit to systems first and evaluate tools that genuinely support those systems.

Mistake 2: Treating rejection as final.

Rejection is feedback. Track it, learn from it, and move on with improved approaches.

How to measure progress

Wealth building isn’t only a balance on a spreadsheet. Use both financial and behavioural metrics.

Financial metrics: savings rate (% of income saved), diversified investments, emergency fund size, debt reduction rate, and net worth trajectory.

Behavioural metrics: number of meaningful conversations per month, number of consistent weekly actions completed (investing, content published, calls made), and number of recovery practices implemented after a setback.

Emotion and energy metrics: quality of sleep, stress levels, and confidence scores—simple weekly check‑ins that help you know when to rest or push.

Final thoughts

Wealth isn’t an accident, and you don't need a rich dad to gradually become wealthy.

We know this, having come from a financially poor background and with many challenges you likely face today and more, but over many years, gradually built wealth for our family.

You can do the same, too, no matter your ethnicity, age, gender, location, etc.

It begins with a shift in mindset and is powered by daily habits and systems.

Today, you've learned three of the often overlooked ones, but there is so much more, and gradually we'll teach you the frameworks to make them real in your life.

The stories we’ve shared aren’t just entertaining anecdotes.

They’re proof that unusual thinking, persistent effort and resilience are repeatable, teachable habits.

If you want a practical starting point this week, pick one action from each habit and schedule it into your calendar: one bold outreach (engineer your luck), one small routine to commit to for 30 days (stubborn consistency), and one concrete step to protect yourself from setbacks (bounce back).

We’d love to know which of the three habits speaks to you most. Comment below.

Are you going to try an unusual outreach, double down on a small routine, or build a recovery plan? Share which habit you’re choosing and your first action, habit 1, 2, or 3, and take the step.

Don't go anywhere. Here are more resources to help you on your wealth-building journey:

• Laid Off, In Debt & AI Is Here: How to Survive the Next 5 Years
• UK vs US Median Wealth By Ethnicity: The Shocking Truth
• ISA Millionaires: How Ordinary People Built £1m Tax-Free and How You Can Too

Here is the video version of the 3 most overlooked habits that quietly build wealth:

As always, in all things, be thankful and seek joy.