Executive function skills hold the key to seeing projects through to the end, turning visions into accomplishments. But what are these executive functions and how do they control our ability to complete tasks?

Imagine you’re just starting on a new project—maybe something around the home, a business idea, or something artistic. You’ve got all the tools, a vision in your mind, and a burst of enthusiasm. It starts out well but as the hours or days pass, that initial excitement dwindles, and you find yourself eyeing other unfinished projects or dreaming up new ideas, leaving behind a trail of partially completed tasks.

Sound familiar? You’re not alone. Many creative, inventive individuals share this experience—a rollercoaster of ideas, creativity, and then projects left in limbo. It’s not a lack of smarts or ambition; it’s the unique way our brains are wired.

In this article, I’ll explain the basics of a few of the executive function skills that pertain to being able to complete projects. We all have strengths and weaknesses in these important executive skills. Add enough weak executive skills together and you may be diagnosed with ADHD. But I am not interested in labels or diagnoses. I am, however, interested in helping you understand how your unique brain works and what strategies you can use to get the most out of your brain.

Some clinicians will label a particular neurological style as a disorder and although I am not denying that some of our neurology can cause difficulties in our lives, there is often a flip side advantage to our neurological wiring.

Creative, impulsive, inventive types do tend to be rather disorganized and often have a sketchy sense of time. Is this a disorder or do they just need someone or something else to take care of organization and time management? A large percentage of creative, risk-taking, inventive types could have the ADHD label attached to them. My goal is to help people understand their unique skills and to scaffold those areas that are weak.

So, what are executive functions? The prefrontal cortex of the brain plays a key role in executive function skills. We can think of the brain as the control center of our actions, thoughts, and behaviors. The brain is responsible for orchestrating everything we do, including tasks like starting and completing projects. Your prefrontal cortex is like the brain’s manager or conductor, helping you plan, organize, and make decisions.

Different regions of the brain, including the prefrontal cortex, need to be able to communicate effectively with each other. This communication can be likened to a team of workers collaborating on a project. When executive function skills are strong, these brain regions work together smoothly.

Everyone’s brain is wired slightly differently. Some people may have a more efficient “communication system” between brain regions related to executive function, while others may have occasional hiccups in this communication.

When your prefrontal cortex isn’t communicating as effectively as it could, you might find it harder to start tasks, stay focused, or manage your time. It’s this variability in brain wiring that makes each person unique. Some people excel in certain executive function skills, while others may struggle a bit. These variations can have both strengths and challenges.

You can find many different lists of executive function skills. Some researchers say there are four or seven, but I particularly like Peg Dawson and Richard Guare’s list of 12. Their work focuses both on children and adults. Peg Dawson states that 40 to 50% of individuals will find that executive function weaknesses follow them into adulthood.

These executive function skills are presented here in the order in which they develop starting with Response Inhibition which begins to emerge as early as 6 months and finishing with Stress Tolerance which can still be developing in one’s mid to late 20s.

• Response Inhibition (Impulse Control)—The capacity to think before you act
• Working Memory—The ability to hold information in memory while performing complex tasks
• Emotional Control—The ability to manage emotions in order to achieve goals, complete tasks, or control and direct behaviour
• Flexibility—The ability to revise plans in the face of obstacles, setbacks, new information or mistakes
• Sustained Attention—The capacity to maintain attention to a situation or task in spite of distraction, fatigue, or boredom
• Task Initiation—The ability to begin projects in an efficient or timely fashion
• Planning/Prioritization—The ability to create a plan to reach a goal or to
  complete a task, including what to focus on and what’s not important
• Organization—The ability to create and maintain systems to keep track of information or materials
• Time Management—The capacity to estimate how much time a task will take and how to track time and deadlines as the task is being performed mindful of deadlines
• Goal Directed Persistence—The ability to set a goal and attain the goal without being
  distracted
• Metacognition/Self Awareness—The ability to observe how you think, how you problem solve, asking, “How am I doing?” or “How did I do?”
• Stress Tolerance—The ability to thrive in stressful situations and to cope with  uncertainty, change, and performance demands

I am going to focus here on a few of these that are particularly relevant to someone wrestling with procrastination, project completion, and maintaining focus.

If you are interested in finding out how your strengths and weaknesses rank for these executive functions, take my free Executive Function Assessment.

Now that we understand a bit more about these key executive functions, let’s talk about strategies to work with or around them.

Often for those with executive function skills weaknesses or those with ADHD, it is said, “there is too much present, not enough future.” That’s interesting since mindfulness practices encourage people to slow down and be present! So what’s the problem with being too “in the moment”? The challenge here is that deadlines seem so far off that they are not yet affecting our current actions. We feel there is still lots of time. Many people with these executive function weaknesses are really enjoying the journey! At least until the destination, the deadline, is right there in front of them and they’re not ready, prepared or close to finsished.

So if you are an enjoying the journey type, it is important to choose wisely—choose wisely with projects, with friendships, partners, commitments. Because from past experience, you may not reach the destination. Or you may not reach it in the way you envisioned. So sometimes you need to be okay with that at the outset.

You also have to weigh the costs of not finishing—to you and to others. If the costs of not finishing are low compared to the enjoyment of starting, then that is okay. Perhaps I start a painting, enjoy it immensely, and never finish it. Probably not a problem. But if I start a renovation on my home, tear some walls down, and then leave my family to live in the construction zone while I get excited about another project (or sink into low mood), that is a problem. So what to do?

Choose wisely and break projects into chunks. Be aware that you might lose steam or get distracted. So instead of tearing all the walls down in the previous example, you start on a very small, achievable piece of the renovation. Step by step. Enlisting help is also a very good idea with projects. In this way, even if you lose steam or interest, someone else is showing up which requires you to show up too.

Here are a few suggestions for strategies in dealing with three of the executive functions required for starting and completing projects. I’ll be drilling down deeper on these in future articles and course offerings.

Staying focused on a project or task requires sustained attention. It’s what keeps you engaged, preventing your mind from wandering off to new, exciting ideas before completing the current endeavour. For those who struggle with attention, they will need to somehow create interest or urgency for the task at hand in order for their attention to kick in.

To boost sustained attention, try creating a distraction-free environment. This might mean turning off your phone or finding a quiet space to work. Also, be mindful of your energy levels; tackling the most challenging tasks when you’re most alert.

If you find yourself getting distracted or losing interest, re-energize with short bursts of physical activity. These bursts of activity, like running up and down stairs, skipping, push-ups, or doing jumping jacks, get dopamine, the motivation molecule, flowing.

You can also find ways to make the task more interesting—pair it with music or have someone work with you.

Starting a project can be a daunting task. Task initiation involves the ability to take that crucial first step to get started.

For improving task initiation, first break down large projects into smaller, more manageable tasks. This can make starting less overwhelming and can make the path to completion much clearer.

If the task allows give yourself permission to start anywhere. Find a piece of the task or the project that seems the easiest, the least boring, or distasteful and start there. Often once you are started, you will find the motivation starts to flow and the next steps become easier.

Borrow from the sustained attention suggestions above in finding ways to make the task more enjoyable.

Effective time management isn’t just about deadlines; it’s about allocating time wisely, so you have the opportunity to explore your creative pursuits while still meeting your commitments. The prefrontal cortex helps us estimate how much time a task will take and plan accordingly. It’s the part of the brain that looks at the clock and calibrates our actions to fit within the constraints of time.

Effective time management starts with a good plan. Use tools like calendars and to-do lists to keep track of deadlines and commitments. Use alarms to remind you when to get started on something and visual timers to give you a sense of passing time (try an old school kitchen timer or a visual phone app timer).

Make sure you also schedule in breaks to re-energize. Discover how often you need a break and set your timer for that break time. Time your break as well so that you actually return to your task!

Understanding and working with your executive function skills is not about fixing something that’s broken; it’s about harnessing your unique strengths and finding ways to manage challenges. By gaining insights into how your brain works, you can develop strategies that complement your natural inclinations, turning your creative visions into reality.

In future articles, we’ll delve deeper into each of these executive function skills, exploring strategies and tools to help you leverage your unique brain wiring. Remember, your brain is your greatest asset. Learning to work with it, rather than against it, can open doors to endless possibilities.

To learn how your strengths and weaknesses rank for the 12 executive functions, take my free Executive Function Assessment.