What are executive
functioning skills?
Executive functioning skills are the cognitive processes we need to achieve goals, complete daily tasks, and effectively navigate life, whether at home, at school, or in the workplace, including:
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attention
working memory
time management
organization
planning
task initiation
task completion
metacognition
problem solving
decision making
self- & emotional regulation
adaptability
What is the impact of executive functioning challenges?
Executive functioning challenges (or executive dysfunction) can have a negative impact on our overall quality of life and, in extreme situations, lead to stress, burnout, or demotivation from feeling overwhelmed to perform daily tasks.
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Some of the ways in which executive dysfunction may manifest include:
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procrastination,
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forgetfulness,
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lack of focus, especially on boring or difficult tasks,
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difficulty meeting deadlines,
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arriving late to commitments,
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difficulty managing complex or multi-component tasks,
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difficulty coping with life stressors or setbacks,
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making poor or impulsive decisions,
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resistance to changes,
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difficulty analyzing problems for possible solutions, and
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disorganization of tasks or belongings.​​
​​​​​​​​ ​While challenges with executive functioning may be attributed to a mental disorder (e.g., depression, anxiety, ADHD), many people struggle, to varying degrees, with demonstrating one or more of these skills.
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Executive functioning skills are not innate. Unfortunately, they're rarely explicitly taught or effectively modeled to us during our formative years and, as adults, we're quickly thrown into the trenches of life without the necessary skills to navigate it. The evergrowing demands of modern-day life also make it much more difficult to stay afloat.
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The good news is that it's never too late to learn these skills. My goal from coaching is to help you gain the executive functioning skills you need to more successfully navigate life. Schedule your free 25-minute initial consultation to explore whether executive functioning coaching is a good fit for you. I look forward to speaking with you!
So, why do many of us struggle with executive functioning?​​​