181: How ADD Symptoms Affect Your Money and What to Do About It

If you feel like focus, organization, and impulsivity are some of your biggest challenges to managing your finances well, or that procrastination or avoidant behaviors sabotage your intentions with money, this episode will help ease the frustration.  

In the last couple years, I have had this surge of students who have had recent ADD diagnoses. These are usually women, usually being diagnosed in their late 30s or in their 40s. Since ADD doesn’t present the same way for girls as it does for boys during the elementary years, many young girls went undiagnosed in the 90s and have been silently struggling with the symptoms their entire lives.  

So, in this episode, I talk about why ADD makes money so much harder, and how you can handle this challenge with executive functioning. 

Overcoming Executive Functioning Challenges in Financial Management 

The result is an entire generation of adult women finally feeling relieved of guilt and frustration around some of their biggest, seemingly disconnected challenges. Some practical advice for those impacted by forgetfulness, hindered focus, or being easily distracted includes:  

1. Co-regulate or body-double with a trusted “financial buddy” or community where you find accountability and can thrive off of joint energy dedicated to completing your financial tasks for the week during that appointment. 
2. Create automatic, scheduled “appointments” with yourself for dedicated attention to your finances.  
3. Let automation help you with repetitive financial tasks – think automatic transfers and bill payments.  
4. Delegate tasks that require human thought to someone (like a virtual assistant or bookkeeper) who loves that type of work. 

Your energy is not best used doing tasks you hate, but you can never give away the financial leadership part of your business. But you can give away these menial little tasks that to you feel are boring and maybe meaningless that somebody else actually really enjoys doing.  

Instill automation and people to help you so that you can step into the role of the CEO who looks at the big picture, decides on values-aligned actions, and makes big or difficult decisions for the business. Pairing with someone who loves bookkeeping, for example, is a gift for both of you because they get to do what they love to do and create order. And you get to benefit from that without trying to bend your brain into a bunch of shapes that are just really not how your brain works. 

Exposing the Link Between ADD and Feelings of Frustration About Money 

(00:01:28) How Executive Functioning Challenges Affect Your Finances 

(00:10:01) Enhancing Focus and Productivity with Scheduled Financial Sessions 

(00:12:24) Streamlining Financial Processes Through Automation 

(00:17:56) Financial Empowerment for Therapists 

When you get the right combination of body doubling, creating a set time to do the work, automation, and delegation working in your private practice, helping you with your finances, this thing that can feel overwhelming and kind of the opposite of what your brain wants to do can become much more neutral or even positive.  

The more you can take away the tasks that make it feel like your brain doesn’t work well because you’re asking it to do something it’s not naturally good at, the more you can build systems and supports and bring in help to take care of those things, the more you can show up and shine and in your business and in your life in the ways that your gifts allow you to. 

Ready to feel confident with your money?

Are you a Solo Private Practice Owner? 

I made this course just for you: Money Skills for Therapists. My signature course has been carefully...