Making Money Tangible – How Jeremy the IT Contractor Got Paid and Built the Shedquarters of His Empire

Once upon a rainy Tuesday, in a semi-detached house filled with tangled cables, teetering mugs of cold tea, and a dog that barked precisely every time he joined a Zoom call, lived Jeremy, a freelance IT contractor with an allergy to admin.

Jeremy had a dream. Not a yacht or a getaway to the Maldives. No, Jeremy’s dream was far more grounded: a separate home office at the bottom of the garden. A sanctuary where he could separate his work life from family life. Somewhere to focus, without distractions, where the only barking came from his keyboard.

He called it: “The Shedquarters of My Empire.”

But Jeremy had a problem. Admin work made his soul itch. The process of getting paid was a bureaucratic maze of invoicing, form filling, reconciling, and clicking through outdated portals designed by a sadistic robot. It was boring. Meaningless. And because it felt so dull and disconnected from real life, he avoided it. For weeks.

That meant no payments. That meant being chased. And worse, it meant chasing himself with a stick of self-judgement.

This is so common when you work for yourself. Doing the work is one thing. But getting paid for it? That often involves jumping through endless hoops. And when those tasks feel purposeless, uncreative or draining, they end up at the bottom of the to-do list. And they stay there. Gathering digital dust.

Jeremy wasn’t lazy. He wasn’t disorganised. He was simply paralysed by the weight of boring tasks with no emotional meaning attached to them. And the more he avoided them, the more pressure he placed on himself. It became a vicious cycle. As the great Henry Ford once said: “Whether you think you can, or you think you can’t – you’re right.”

In a coaching session, we got curious. What would that garden office mean to him? What would it feel like to close that office door, knowing he had space, separation and silence? It wasn’t just a luxury. It was mental clarity. It was protection for his family life. It was his. So we made a plan.

Each client invoice or admin task was no longer “boring paperwork.” It became something else entirely. A roof tile. A brick. A pane of glass. Every task completed got him closer to the Shedquarters of His Empire.

The dreary post-production job he’d been putting off? That was worth ten bricks. By the end of the week, he could see the frame going up. He even renamed it in his calendar. Suddenly, what felt meaningless became deeply meaningful. Something to build, quite literally.

But that wasn’t all. We looked at what else was stopping him from doing the work.

• The voice in his head that said, “I can’t do this.”
• The belief that if he didn’t feel motivated, it meant he couldn’t start.
• The memory of past failures or times he’d been overwhelmed, casting a shadow over this task.

Together, we rewrote that narrative. Instead of “I can’t do it,” he started to say, “I haven’t done it yet.”

We visualised what finishing that job would feel like. He imagined sending the final invoice, the client smiling, the payment coming in. He felt the relief in his body. The pressure lifting. The quiet confidence of someone who’d followed through.

We gave the job purpose: that payment would cover the accountant’s outstanding fees — and allow him to renegotiate their outdated, overly expensive package. Clearing the debt, reducing future costs, and giving him peace of mind.

So how do you make money tangible?

1. Tie it to something real.

• • Not just “getting paid,” but what that payment enables. A home office. A debt paid. A weekend away. A new laptop. A clearer mind.

2. Visualise it in detail.

• • Jeremy pictured bricks. You might picture a zero balance on a credit card. Or your tax bill already settled. Or your overdraft cleared.

3. Turn the process into steps.

• • Break the task down. Five invoices? That’s five ticks. Five bricks. One wall. Use a timer. Set a 25-minute sprint. And reward yourself with something that makes you smile.

4. Challenge your thoughts.

• • When you hear “I can’t do this,” pause. Try, “I haven’t done it yet.” Or ask, “What’s one small thing I can do right now?”

5. Create a system for next time.

• • Jeremy started making a checklist as he worked. That way, he could delegate it next time. Whether it’s an intern, a VA or a freelance bookkeeper, systems save energy and make delegation possible.

Tasks that drain your soul don’t have to be yours forever. But sometimes, this time, you do have to do it yourself. And when you do, having a clear why, a vivid visual, and a process to make it easier, makes a huge difference.

So, what’s your version of the Shedquarters?

What’s the thing you want that money can bring – not just in your bank, but in your life, your time, and your wellbeing?

If you’re staring at a task right now and thinking, “I can’t do this,” remember Jeremy. And remember Henry Ford. You might be right. Or you might just need to change the story.

If you’re struggling to get through the boring but essential parts of your work, I can help.

Book a free ADHD coaching consultation with me. Together we’ll find what makes your tasks meaningful, develop a system that works for your brain, and discover ways to delegate or simplify so you can feel on top of your workload – and feel successful while doing it.

You’ve got this. And if you need support, I’ve got you.

📅 Book a free ADHD Coaching Discovery Session today and take the first step towards making money tangible.

See here for 5 ADHD Strategies to Plan Your Work, Stay Sane, and Price Your Jobs Properly