Ready, Set, Go!
Last month we talked about working and short-term memory with respect to executive function needs. But what if remembering isn’t your challenge? You have a system to capture these tasks and obligations, but you struggle with getting started. You review your list or external capturing tool and still find yourself waiting for some kind of catalyst to push you into the “doing” phase. This is what we call “activation” when we are talking about executive functions. You have captured the task but there is no movement into completing it. What has got you stalled? It might be something deeper than “motivation”..
When we capture those important tasks, there are typically a few more steps that our brains require before we can truly get into action. Let’s not get ahead of ourselves, though. BEFORE we can activate, we need to “plan & prioritize”.
For some of my clients, the planning and prioritization step is a happy place - they are masters at planning, and it is their favorite form of procrastination and perfectionism.
Many of my clients get stuck when skipping over the planning & prioritization and trying to spin immediately into action. What we often see when we analyze a task list is an actual collection of both tasks and projects. What’s the big difference? Quite literally, the number of steps from point A to point B. For the purpose of this discussion, we will use the following definitions:
A task is a step or action to be undertaken.
A project is a collection of tasks that help you reach a planned goal or result.
Moving yourself from the starting line and into action may require a bit of a jumpstart.
Planning and prioritizing can help us determine what is most important, the order in which we need to tackle individual tasks, and the timeline that we want to adhere to in order to meet that completion goal or deadline. Within this process, we need to know why this task matters to us or others, what tools or resources are required to accomplish the tasks, where they can or must be tackled, and when it needs to happen. We also need to practice a little pre-planning for the potential obstacles we may face when attempting to complete a task. Thinking of this as your “WHO, WHAT, WHERE, WHEN, WHY” will help you formulate a solid plan.
Even a simple chore list can benefit from a little preplanning. In some cases, multiple actions are similar enough to group together. For example, you need to clean the bathroom, do laundry, walk the dog, and make a grocery list(your “WHATs”). All of these are home-based activities that can be done only in relation to your home (your “WHERE”). You aren’t taking your laundry or the dog to work (but wouldn’t it be kinda novel if you could?), so that location can also help you determine your “WHEN”. The WHO and the WHY are often tied together. WHO owns the task? WHO benefits? WHY is the task on the list or even important? This, my friends, is your task road map.
In order to get to your next destination, you need a good roadmap for all of the twists and turns you must take to get there.
In the case of a clean bathroom, I can think of 9 specific subtasks that may be included: empty trash can, put items in their proper home/place, wipe sink/countertop, scrub toiler, scrub shower/tub, clean mirror/glass, pick up dirty laundry, launder towels/bathroom rugs, mop floor. With the tasks identified, you can then create your list of tools: mop, cleaning agents, scrub brush, cleaning cloths, etc.
If your task is not tied to a specific location, such as writing a paper, you would then identify WHERE you can best tackle the task of writing (library, bedroom desk, office, coffee shop, etc). Often the WHERE and WHEN are closely tied together as well.
Your WHEN may look different from others, depending on variables like time available, energy, and preferences for hyperfocus vs quick sprints. You may decide to incorporate some of the tasks into established routines (often referred to as habit stacking). You may prefer to have one day dedicated to a project or group of like tasks. Whenever possible, work WITH your flow, not against it. If you are a truly professional procrastinator, you might even consider adding in an external accountability buddy or a co-working partner. Finding strategies that help us move forward on boring, unattractive tasks is key to getting things done. For example, I have a weekly task of walking 3 days a week, and some days I don’t want to take the time for a 30-45 minute break. I have used this time as an opportunity to add a bit of novelty and fun - I may call a friend or listen to a podcast or book. In the case of cleaning, I have found phone calls with long-distance friends to be a game changer. You may also want to consider delegation to others or outsourcing those nuclear-avoidant but important tasks where possible. Explore all possibilities - this is a grand experiment!
The only hard and fast rule to designing a plan for tasks and projects is to incorporate what works for your circumstance and brain. When we work with our ability, not against it, we are more likely to find we increase both our consistency and likelihood of success.
Remember, executive function is an important but invisible skill set. Some may need minimal support in one or more areas whereas others may require a significant level of scaffolding to support getting things done. You may need to narrow your focus or you may work best when you have the space to envision how, where, and most importantly when all the pieces come together. When it comes to planning & prioritizing, what does your brain need most?
PUTTING IT INTO PRACTICE: Let’s consider the recurring project of “cleaning the bathroom”.
The larger WHAT is a clean bathroom.
(1) Identify WHY this matters to you (or others). it provides meaning, consequence, and perhaps external obligation to the task
(2) Your WHO considers the beneficiaries of this task or goal as well as the person(s) who have a role in completing the project or tasks at hand.
(3) We can dig a little deeper into the WHAT of specific subtasks and necessary tools.
(4) identify the WHERE and (5)WHEN you will tackle these tasks.
Your WHEN is your commitment to acting upon your intentions. Before we can act, we must address the (6)HOW - looking at potential obstacles, tools to recalibrate and get back on track, and a vision of what “DONE” will look and feel like. It is often useful to tie that feeling back to your WHY, coming full circle in the process.
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