How small steps can help you feel in control of finances from a mindset coach

Author Roxie Nafousi breaks down how to get on top of your money sustainably

More young people are deciding to take small steps rather than large ones research has found (Alamy/PA) (Alamy/PA)

With the New Year in full swing, it can be a great time to set new financial goals, but it can also be overwhelming and stressful if people aim too big at once. According to research from People’s Pension young adults are in fact looking for ways to reset and feel more in control for 2026.

However, 70% have said that small, everyday wins, not big life changes, help them to feel more positive and in control. We spoke with best-selling author of Manifest and self-development coach Roxie Nafousi about the importance of small steps and what these look like in order to get a grasp of finances.

Why can taking too big of steps be detrimental to progress?

Nafousi explains that one of the main reasons big steps can be an issue is because our brains are wired to avoid overwhelm and discomfort. “Sometimes what happens is that when a goal feels too big, instead of moving forward we actually just freeze,” she says.

“This is because it feels so great and huge that suddenly all our fears, doubts or insecurities come in.”

“I often think about goals as like going on a hike,” Nafousi says. “When you go on one and you see the top of the mountain, you think ‘there is no way I’m going to be able to get there’, and in that feeling you want to turn back.

“However, when you just take one step at a time, you realise all of a sudden, at some point you eventually look back and think ‘look how far I’ve come’.”

She adds it’s the same with goals. “If we take small steps, we lower the feeling of overwhelm and that threat respons, then we can actually take action which feels safe and doable and then see progress in that way.”

“That progress, marking small moments and taking the time to really acknowledge those steps that you’re making is so important because it builds self-worth,” Nafousi adds. “It builds momentum, confidence and then people start to see themselves as someone who is capable of making change or capable of looking after their finances for example. ”

Why is society now more focused on small goals?

“I think perhaps Gen Z in particular are more open to self-development as a whole,” Nafousi explains.

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“There is more awareness of the importance of actually enjoying life as it is. When I was growing up, there was this kind of idea that life is hard and work should be hard. You didn’t really think about how can I make my day to day feel better? Or how can I find happiness and contentment? That wasn’t a narrative,” she says.

“Whereas now, I think there is so much more information about things like, you can have goals but also how can you actually feel good in your life? How can you have gratitude? How can you do daily practices that are going to enhance your wellbeing: whether that’s mental, emotional, physical and also financial.”

What are some small steps people can take to get on top of finances?

“Firstly I would say to think about an end-of-year target,” she says. “Ask yourself how much you want to save by the end of the year and start with that and then work backwards. I would ask myself how do I need to save each month to do that? And that can be something really simple.”

“Another thing could be to put a schedule in – like a quarterly review or a half-year review where you look at your income if there has been any increases, how can you then adjust your contributions to things like your pension. That can be really helpful.”

“A random one that I think would be especially helpful for people, particularly Gen Z is to go through all your subscriptions and all the things that you are paying for that you may have forgot about,” she says.

“For example, so many of my friends are paying for two Netflix accounts they didn’t realise. I have even been paying for this cooking app that I have never used but I have been paying for it for three years and it was going to an old email. So that could be something small at the beginning of the year to think about.

“Now, I’ve saved that extra £50 a month on subscriptions I’m not using. Maybe I could add that to my pension or to my end-of-year savings.”

Why is it important to rewire your thoughts about money?

“I think our relationship to money is really different for everyone,” Nafousi says. “Our relationship to everything in our life is really important because essentially the beliefs we hold change how we behave, how we respond to situations, how we feel and that can be the beliefs we hold about anything.

“If we believe that money is scarce and that we’re not able to hold on to it, or that we’re naturally not good with money, or it’s not available to us, then we are going to create these self-fulfilling prophecies.

“It can be really important for us to really look at our belief systems in all areas of our lives, including the way that we view money.”