5 Things Tony Robbins Wants You To Stop Doing With Your Money
Written by
Choncé Maddox
Edited by
Brendan McGinley
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Tony Robbins has spent decades coaching people on their finances and one of his biggest messages is that wealth doesn’t just come from what you earn. It actually comes from what you stop doing wrong with your money.
In other words, acquiring money is just step one. Real wealth is in how you handle the money you have. According to Robbins, many people sabotage their financial security through avoidable habits and limiting beliefs.
Here are the top things he says you need to quit if you want to build lasting wealth and peace of mind.
1. Stop Letting Limiting Beliefs Control Your Financial Decisions
Robbins often says that success is 80% psychology and only 20% mechanics. That means your beliefs about money play a far bigger role than most people realize. If you constantly tell yourself that you’re bad with money, that wealth is only for other people or that you’ll never get ahead financially, those thoughts become a self-fulfilling prophecy.
Robbins encourages people to confront their negative money stories and replace them with empowering ones. By shifting your mindset and affirming that you can learn, grow and take control of your finances, you create the foundation for better financial behaviors.
2. Stop Spending Before You’ve Saved
One of Robbins’ key principles is to “pay yourself first.” Far too many people spend freely, then try to save whatever happens to remain at the end of the month. More often than not, what’s left over is little to nothing.
This approach keeps you on the paycheck-to-paycheck treadmill and leaves you vulnerable to emergencies and setbacks. Instead, Robbins advises automating your savings and investments so money is set aside before you even touch it. By making saving a non-negotiable expense, you guarantee that you’re steadily building security and wealth, rather than relying on willpower to save “later.”
3. Stop Accumulating High-Interest Debt Without a Plan
Robbins also warns against letting debt, especially high-interest credit card balances, control your financial life. Interest works two ways: It can either compound for you when you invest or compound against you when you carry debt.
Left unchecked, credit card balances and long-term loans can eat away at your cash flow and delay wealth building by decades. Robbins urges people to minimize borrowing whenever possible and, if debt is unavoidable, to create a clear and aggressive payoff strategy. Prioritizing high-interest debt frees up money that can be redirected toward your goals instead of toward lenders’ profits.
4. Stop Discounting Taxes and Fees
Another area Robbins emphasizes is the often-overlooked impact of taxes and fees. Many people focus on the gross returns from investments or retirement accounts without considering how much of those gains they’ll actually keep. Hidden fees and tax inefficiencies can quietly erode your wealth over time. Financial planning should include taxes and fees.
Robbins encourages investors to learn the differences between pre-tax and post-tax retirement accounts, understand how their investments are taxed and choose vehicles that maximize long-term efficiency. By being tax-smart, you can ensure that your financial growth translates into real, spendable income down the line.
5. Stop Chasing Instant Results
Finally, Robbins cautions against the tendency to seek big, overnight change while overlooking the power of consistent, small actions. He calls this the “2-millimeter rule.” It means that small, steady adjustments each day eventually create dramatic results. Too often, people try to overhaul their finances overnight, only to burn out and give up when progress feels slow.
Robbins believes that real wealth comes from creating habits you can sustain, such as saving a fixed percentage of your income, learning about money a little each week or investing regularly. Over time, these actions compound, both financially and psychologically, leading to massive change without overwhelming you.
Why Robbins’ Advice Matters
The truth is that money mistakes happen, but they’re often about habits, mindsets and blind spots. By continuing to carry debt, ignoring taxes or telling yourself limiting stories, you give away power over your financial future.
Robbins’ advice is a reminder that small shifts in behavior and perspective can unlock huge results. If you stop sabotaging yourself and instead focus on consistent, intentional choices, you can build the security and freedom that money is meant to provide.
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