Managing Money with ADHD Trait: Inattentiveness
By: Tamika Howell, Edited By: Clifton Corbin | December 27, 2022
Financial Planning has a lot of moving parts. The process can be overwhelming in general, and getting started is intimidating.
This is compounded when you have inattentive ADHD and struggle with missing details, staying on task, following through, organization, etc. You may not know where the money is going. Following through on the necessary steps to organize your finances may be tedious.
“Inattentive refers to challenges with staying on task, focusing, and organization.”
Finding a way to manage money that works for you may take some time. It’s taken me years to figure out what works and doesn’t. But I’ve also learned your system can evolve based on what you have going on in each phase of life.
ADHD and Inattentiveness
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a neurological disorder that can affect the ability of individuals to stay focused and organized. For those living with this condition, financial planning can present unique challenges.
A common symptom associated with adult ADHD is difficulty paying attention, which can make it difficult to keep track of finances and budgeting activities. This may lead to missed payments, overspending, or accumulating debt as a result of not following through on financial plans.
Having ADHD may also cause setbacks in saving for retirement or other long-term goals due to poor money management practices and lack of organizational skills necessary for successful financial planning.
Tips for Managing Money with Inattention
- Start where you are, don’t wait until you have more money to manage. There are both free and paid resources to help you get started.
- Determine what you want to accomplish with your money and choose a goal with the most significant impact.
- To address any overwhelm, break the goal down as small as possible, then work on the next best step.
- If you find yourself getting stuck, ask for help.
- Have grace and patience with yourself in the process. Everyone makes money mistakes, don’t be ashamed because of it.
ADHD and Inattentiveness: Final Thoughts
While having ADHD can add some additional challenges when it comes to financial planning, it doesn’t necessarily mean that achieving success is impossible. Starting where you are, setting goals, breaking goals down into smaller tasks, and asking for help will all help you achieve success. Most importantly, give yourself grace and patience.
