My ADHD Nightmare!
Hi Scott,
A few years ago, I read The Barefoot Investor, set up my buckets, and started strong … before promptly faceplanting into a mountain of debt. My income wasn’t keeping up, and the Mojo account remained a distant dream, like a unicorn, or a tidy sock drawer. Turns out I have ADHD (officially diagnosed now), which explains a lot about my money habits – namely, why sticking to a plan felt like wrestling jelly. But here’s the good news: I’ve just scored a promotion so my income will jump from $115K to $190K. For the first time in forever, I feel like I’ve got a real shot at clearing debt and building that elusive Mojo. So I’ve dusted off your book and I’m starting fresh. Thanks for creating something that sticks, even when life doesn’t go to plan.
Kate
Hi Kate,
Thank you for your kind words about my book, but I still have to pee on your parade for a moment.
Earning more money won’t magically fix your finances – in fact, it could make things much worse. The immediate danger with that $75K pay rise is that you’ll feel rich and spend like it.
Now, you said sticking to a plan felt like “wrestling jelly” – and that’s actually perfect.
Stop wrestling!
Look I’m no shrink, but it seems to me that the trick with ADHD isn’t trying harder, it’s building systems that work even when your brain is scattered.
So here’s what I'd do:
For the next 90 days, act like it didn’t happen: just put the entire raise into your savings. Prove to yourself you can live on your old salary, then decide what to do with the extra.
In the meantime, set up automatic transfers to your separate savings buckets the day you get paid, so you don’t see the extra money in your account. Remove every possible friction point between you and good money decisions.
And because ADHD brains need evidence, not willpower, use that time to give yourself three small wins – automate one bill, set up one transfer, negotiate one payment – and watch your money confidence explode. Each small victory rewires your brain to see yourself as someone who’s in control of their finances.
You’ve got this, Kate. Now go prove it to yourself.