Remove Temptation and Enforce a Rhythm: How to Protect Your Profit From Yourself

You know the feeling: a financial cushion in the account starts to look like a solution to every sudden problem. It’s perfectly human to want instant relief—after all, why not 'borrow' a bit from profit to cover that overdue bill? But what starts as a quick fix becomes a cycle, with your hard-earned savings evaporating whenever pressure rises.

It doesn’t have to be this way. Imagine putting your profit and tax money somewhere inconvenient—maybe at a different bank, with no online access, no checks, nothing but old-school in-person withdrawals. At first, you might worry it’s overkill. But as the weeks roll on, temptation fades. The money is safe and out of emotional reach, your daily balance feels leaner (encouraging smarter spending), and when the moment comes to collect a real profit, it actually feels like a reward, not a Band-Aid.

Behavioral science calls this 'friction.' By making the wrong decision harder, you give the right one space to grow. Out-of-sight money steadily builds, and self-control stops being an exhausting fight. Paired with a steady rhythm—allocating on the same dates each month—this approach builds automatic stability, not just wishful discipline.

The best part? Over time, you start to trust yourself not to raid your own future. Your profit is waiting for you, right on schedule, each and every quarter.

If you’re tired of watching savings disappear, take concrete action: open a tough-to-access account in another bank, and set up a rule that profit and tax money always move there twice a month—no exceptions, no emergencies. Make withdrawals rare and ceremonial. If you want added security, ask someone you trust to add a layer of accountability, maybe even requiring you to show up in person for a signature. Instead of temptation, you’ll start to feel proud of your discipline and relieved by your growing reserves. Lock up your profit, give yourself some distance, and finally see just how much you’re really capable of saving.