The project manager of the brain: executive function It supervises the cognitive functions required to think, understand, execute tasks and manage life’s low punches efficiently. Youre checking emails, doing your bill-pay for the month or writing an essay — maybe even just remembering where you left your keys; and imagine if no one ever taught you how to do that well. These qualities are as fundamental for students in university as they are for professionals and determine everything from adapting your priorities to how you control your negative emotions when the going gets tough.

The whole system seems to come apart at the seams, but that is from when executive function gets torn down — like with ADHD. Simple tasks appear gargantuan, time melts away and emotions can hit you like tidal waves. It´s true, however hopefully with the right tools and strategies we can improve these skills to take back control of our days.

Sometimes being neuro-divergent, is exactly what you need to thrive.

Three New Ways to Improve Your Executive Function (EF) Skills

These tips can be applied if you are a creative teen managing social life and school, or an adult juggling work deadlines. Read on and learn about three strategies to start your engine.

1. Create routines and make visual aids Routines are scaffolding for your mind. They are the bookends of your day, they give shape to your life and allow you not have to use any brain cycles on deciding what to do next. This is great for anyone adapting from ADHD, since routine can be a fine source of homeostasis.

Actionable Tips:

Plan your meals, work and regular exercise in set times. If your routine is consistent its easier to build good habits.

Keep some reminders in visual form, by using simple tools like to-do lists or sticky notes and apps which will help you remind along time your “Later” tasks.

Divide and conquer — if you break the tasks into smaller parts. Every little victory serves as motivation which will also keep you on track and help retain your momentum.

Pro Tip: For coaches, the

coaching

offers strategies for building accountability systems tailored to your clients’ needs.

2. Find here how to master time with smart techniques: Time Keeping Tips To Conquer All Because time is a tricky errant… By some basic mechanisms, you can command it. Time Management Strategies: Humans notoriously suck at estimating how much time they need for specific tasks (hence why things like the Pomodoro Technique are a thing).

Actionable Tips:

The Pomodoro Technique — work for 25 minutes, take a break of 5 mins. Keep going through this cycle and you will be shocked how easily focused you start to stay.

Make a point of your day: Urgent/important to-do list The important things should come first and you do not need to run stress at the last minute.

Use alarms to help with task-switching and breaks. Alarms and calendar reminders are likely your new best friend in similar regrads.

3. Accountability Lean on Accountability Systems Accountability could be the key to getting things done. A friend, mentor or even a digital tracker where you can check in on your process will keep the momentum running.

Actionable Tips:

Get a friend of yours or anybody as an accountability buddy whom you can share your goals. These check-ins need to be done on a regular basis as it helps keep you going in the desired direction.

These days, you can even use apps or habit trackers to see how much progress you are making and stay motivated.

Celebrate small wins! If you really know yourself, then reward systems should be a no-brainer and can help keep tough days in perspective.

EXECUTIVE DYSFUNCTION GOT YOU STUCK?

Take the Next Step: Strengthen Your Executive Function Skills

Whether you’re a student, a professional, or someone supporting others with executive dysfunction, there are effective resources to guide your journey toward better productivity and organization.

Start with a Free Masterclass on Executive Function Coaching to gain foundational knowledge:

coaching.

Ready to become an expert coach? Enroll in the Fall 2024 Live Executive Function Coach Certification Course to elevate your coaching career:

coaching.

The desktop version Coincidently, Do struggle with Executive function? The following is a mini-checklist — if you said yes to five out of the ten, that still means there are areas for improvement.
Something else we do is have a hard time starting things.
A cycle of procrastination that never ends.
Lost Time or Missed Deadlines
Frequently losing your keys or phone
Tripping up over multi-step, complex projects
Wanting to pull yourself together, but not knowing where to start
Frequently aggravated or “getting irritated” when things going wrong

If any of these a strengths, it may be beneficial to learn some tools and practices to boost executive function. And there is, by definition, NO SHAME in finding coaching or resources — because we all need a little help sometimes.

The Next Step to Improved Executive Function

Whether you are a student with an aim to score good, a professional with the objective of high productivity or simply someone who is considered as looking for l freedom — there are tools that can aid you in growing these abilities. Whether you want to try a free masterclass, or jump into a live coaching course specifically targeted at improving your executive function capabilities.