Financial Injunctions
In Lesson 1 we saw how scarcity pulls our attention and drains our bandwidth. In Lesson 2 we built the tool that answers it: a simple if-then rule you write today, so tomorrow's pressure doesn't make the decision for you.
Quick refresher: Lesson 1, "The Trap of Scarcity" (See it. Face the Number. Follow the Money.)
The 4 Triggers
- Tunneling
- A narrow focus on one problem that leaves everything outside the tunnel untouched or unmanaged.
- Bandwidth Tax
- The drain on the mental capacity we need to plan, remember, compare options, and make sound financial decisions.
- Borrowing from Future Self
- Decisions today that bring temporary relief but create stress and limits for your future self.
- Focus Dividend
- Focus that stays aware of other problems, leaving the mental room to be flexible when needed.
The 4 Barriers
- Behaviors / Habits
- Repeated actions and decisions that hold back progress.
- Systems
- A lack of structure, routines, or tools needed to manage money well.
- Capacity
- Not enough resources to meet essential needs and build stability.
- Opportunities
- Limited access to resources, education, employment, or support needed to improve your situation.
Every Financial Injunction you write is aimed at one of these triggers or barriers.
Key Term
What is an injunction?
We borrowed a word from the courtroom on purpose. An injunction is not a suggestion. It is an order.
An authoritative order. In law, an injunction is a court order that requires someone to do a specific thing, or to stop doing a specific thing.
A judge doesn't say "try to stay away" or "do better." The order names the exact situation and the exact action.
An order you issue to yourself, ahead of time, about exactly what you will do with your money when a specific situation shows up.
You are the judge. You write the order while your mind is clear, so the decision is already made when stress, temptation, or a tight week arrives.
The If-Then Equation
Why multiply instead of add? Because anything times zero is zero. A vague situation ("someday") or a vague behavior ("do better") counts as zero, and the whole injunction falls apart. Both sides must be specific for the order to work.
Says where you want to go. Doesn't say when or how.
Names the moment and the move.
The Research Behind It
Why this works: three ideas worth knowing
Financial Injunctions are built on decades of research about how people actually follow through, especially under pressure.
Implementation Intentions
Gollwitzer found a big gap between wanting a goal and acting on it. His fix: link a specific situation to a specific response in an "If ___, then I will ___" plan. He called these implementation intentions.
See it in action
In one study, women invited for a health screening were asked to write down when and where they would book it. 92% of those who made an if-then plan attended, compared with 69% of those who didn't (Sheeran & Orbell, 2000).
Why it works: once you link the moment to the move, the moment itself becomes the cue. You notice it faster, and the response starts with less thinking and less willpower.
Scarcity & the Bandwidth Tax
When money is tight, money problems take up space in the mind. That leaves less bandwidth for planning, remembering, and weighing choices. It isn't a character flaw. It happens to anyone under scarcity.
See it in action
The car repair test: shoppers were asked to think about a car repair. With a $150 repair, lower- and higher-income people scored the same on reasoning tests. With a $1,500 repair, lower-income people scored significantly worse. Same people, bigger worry.
The harvest test: sugarcane farmers in India scored better on the same tests after harvest, when money came in, than before it, when money was tight.
Dream + Obstacle (WOOP)
Dreaming gives you direction. But Oettingen found that positive fantasy alone can lower energy, because your mind feels like you already arrived. The fix is to dream, then name what stands in the way.
See it in action
In her studies, people who only fantasized about an easy path, such as landing a job or passing an exam, often put in less effort and got weaker results.
For us: that's why Step 1 (Dream) comes before the plan. Picture the outcome, name the obstacle, and that obstacle becomes your Situation X.
Put the Theory to Work
Injunctions for the four financial barriers
Each barrier from Lesson 1 calls for a different kind of plan. Tap a barrier to see the financial reality and an example injunction.
What injunctions cannot do
An honest tool tells you its limits. If-then plans are powerful, but they are not magic.
The Process
Dream. Build. Build. Multiply.
Four steps take you from a vision to habits that hold up in real life. Tap each step.
Step 1 · Dream: Create a mindset shift
Visualize the end outcome. What does your life look like 90 days from now if your money is working for you? A full emergency fund? A bill paid off? Less stress on payday?
Research tip · OettingenDon't stop at the dream. Right after you picture it, ask: "What is most likely to get in my way?" Be honest. That obstacle is where your first injunction comes from.
Step 2 · Build: Create a 90-Day Budget Plan
Map every paycheck for the next 90 days and give every dollar an assignment before it arrives. Your budget does more than track money. It shows your danger zones: the categories, days, and moments where your plan usually breaks.
Research tip · ScarcityPlanning ahead is how you protect your bandwidth. Decisions made on a calm day don't get taxed on a hard one.
Step 3 · Build: Create Injunctions
Turn each danger zone into a Financial Injunction: (Situation X) × (Behavior Y). Start with one to three. A few focused orders beat a long list you can't remember.
Research tip · GollwitzerPick a Situation X you'll clearly notice (a day, a place, a feeling, an event) and a Behavior Y someone could watch you do. Say what you will do, not only what you won't.
Step 4 · Multiply: Repeat the process
At Day 30, 60, and 90, check every injunction: Used it, Forgot it, or Didn't fit?
- Used it: keep it. Once it feels automatic, add a new one.
- Forgot it: make Situation X easier to notice (a phone reminder, a sticky note on your card).
- Didn't fit: rewrite it to match your real life. Changing a plan is not failing.
Rehearsal and review: say your plan out loud, imagine the cue happening, practice it once, and revisit it after you've used it for real.
Interactive · Try the Equation
Build an injunction. Watch the math.
Pick one Situation X and one Behavior Y. Some choices are specific and some are vague. See what happens when either side is zero.
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Choose one from each column.
Interactive · Scenario Challenge
You be the judge.
Seven real-life moments, each tied to a Lesson 1 trigger or barrier. Pick the Financial Injunction that works best. There's a reason behind every answer.
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Interactive · Your Turn
Write your Financial Injunction
Start with your dream, name your obstacle, then issue the order. The coach checks your wording as you type.
🔒 What you type stays on this device. Nothing is sent to The M.I.T. Project or anyone else.
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Remember This
Key takeaways from Lesson 2
- It's not a character flaw. Scarcity taxes everyone's bandwidth. Hard decisions under pressure are a design problem, and design problems have solutions.
- Goals point the direction. Injunctions decide the move. "I want to save" is a wish. "If ___, then I will ___" is an order.
- Both sides must be specific. A vague situation or a vague behavior counts as zero, and anything times zero is zero.
- Decide while your mind is clear, so stress, fatigue, or a sale doesn't decide for you.
- Dream, then plan for the obstacle. Visualize the outcome, name what's most likely to get in the way, and aim your first injunction there.
- A plan guides a response; it can't replace missing money. If there's a shortage, be honest about it and reach out for support. That's a plan too.
Reflect before next class
- Which Lesson 1 trigger shows up most in your week: Tunneling, Bandwidth Tax, or Borrowing from Future Self?
- When and where does your money plan usually break? That's your Situation X.
- Did you use your injunction this week? If not, was it forgotten or did it not fit?
Bring your 90-Day Budget and at least one Financial Injunction to the next session.
My next steps
Check them off as you go. Your progress saves on this device and shows in the Lesson Library.
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Want help writing your injunctions?
The M.I.T. Project offers free one-on-one financial coaching for budgeting, cash flow, savings, debt, and building a plan that fits your life.
Email: info@themitproject.com · Phone: 726-465-4833 · See upcoming classes
Research sources
- Gollwitzer, P. M. (1999). Implementation intentions: Strong effects of simple plans. American Psychologist, 54(7), 493–503.
- Gollwitzer, P. M., & Sheeran, P. (2006). Implementation intentions and goal achievement: A meta-analysis of effects and processes. Advances in Experimental Social Psychology, 38, 69–119.
- Sheeran, P., & Orbell, S. (2000). Using implementation intentions to increase attendance for cervical cancer screening. Health Psychology, 19(3), 283–289.
- Mullainathan, S., & Shafir, E. (2013). Scarcity: Why Having Too Little Means So Much. Times Books.
- Mani, A., Mullainathan, S., Shafir, E., & Zhao, J. (2013). Poverty impedes cognitive function. Science, 341(6149), 976–980.
- Oettingen, G. (2014). Rethinking Positive Thinking: Inside the New Science of Motivation. Current.
This page is for financial education and is not individual financial, legal, or tax advice.