Executive Functions Make A Difference
By Guest Blogger Paula Donnelly, MEd, LPC
Executive function skills refer to the management area of the brain which performs tasks and solves problems. The CEO of the brain. We all have management areas that are stronger. And areas that are less developed. Knowing this allows people to focus on their strengths and build up their weaknesses. Use Your strengths to compensate for weaker areas.
Impulse Control – The capacity to:
- think before you act or speak
- manage emotions
- use rational thinking
Working Memory – The ability to:
- hold information in memory while performing complex tasks
- draw on experience to apply to the situation at hand or to project into the future
Flexibility – The ability to:
- revise plans in the face of setbacks, new information, or obstacles
Attention – The capacity to:
- begin projects without undue procrastination
- keep paying attention to a task in spite of distractibility, fatigue or boredom
- complete goals
Planning and Organizing – The ability to:
- create a road map to complete a task
- make decisions about what is important to focus on and what is not important
- create and maintain systems to keep track of information or material
Time Management – The capacity to:
- estimate how much time one has
- how to allocate it
- how to stay within time limits and deadlines, a sense of time urgency, and that time is important
Self-Monitoring– The ability to:
- stand back and take a bird’s-eye view of yourself in a situation
- accept feedback from others in the decision making
Strengthening Your Weaker Executive Functions
Live Life Beyond Limitation requires a focus on strengthening executive functioning through strategies, awareness, and immediate feedback. Discover the strengths to control impulses, plan, organize, manage time, stay on task and reach goals.