Answer YES or NO to the following SIX questions…
1. Do you plan ahead?
2. Are you able to work on more than two or three tasks at a time and as you do it, keep each task organized?
3. Do you meet deadlines and get things turned in on time?
4. Do you react calmly when you are disappointed or unhappy with a situation?
5. Do you think before you speak when in a situation that is frustrating, unfair or very annoying to you?
6. Do you stay even tempered when the schedule changes without notice, or when someone suggests an alternative way to do something even when the current way is good enough?
If you answered YES to these questions, you can thank your EXECUTIVE FUNCTIONING SKILLS.
If you answered NO, continue reading to discover details about what these skills are about.
Executive functioning skills means self-control. You are in control of what you say and how you say it. You recognize the fine line between what you are thinking and if you should say your thought out loud, depending on the situation. Even when a situation seems unfair or unreasonable, you are able to think clearly and respond with a reason, making the best of the interaction, regardless of what it is.
Seven Do’s and Don’ts of Executive Functioning Skills
1. Don’t blurt out your thoughts just because you think them.
a. Do, think before you blurt out information, insults or your opinion. Think before you speak. Be thoughtful.
2. Don’t over-react and be the “drama starter” in a situation.
a. Do listen first, then express your thoughts at the level of emotion that matches the situation. Emotional control means that the intensity of emotion you express makes sense in that particular situation. Pause, breath and get your emotional self together before you respond.
3. Don’t be the guy who can’t go with the flow or sticks to the ‘my way or highway’ rule.
a. Do listen to the views of others, adapt to changes, and expect the unexpected. Be flexible and open to alternative views and opinions.
4. Don’t focus on every detail available at the moment.
a. Do, decide on what information is ‘Key’ information needed for a given task and make that information the focus, putting all irrelevant facts aside.
5. Don’t rely on the reactions of others to figure out you have gone too far.
a. Do, keep an eye on your own behavior and change it, before receiving negative comments, dirty looks or punishment.
6. Don’t wander through the day without a plan.
a. Do start the day with a goal. Plan to get something specific accomplished.
7. Don’t wait for someone else to tell you to start a job or task.
a. Do take initiative and start doing the job or task yourself. You lead the way and take the first step to getting the job done.
8. Don’t let your thinking wander in any or every direction.
a. Do take control of your thoughts. Use diagrams, lists, pictures or anything that helps keep your thoughts organized in a linear direction (straight line). This type of thinking is what allows us to stay physically and mentally organized.