Perfect Planning

For many people, Executive Functioning Skills are extremely hard to get good at. These skills are summarized by the following: Organizing, Planning, Strategizing, Time Management, and Attention To Detail. During one of our recent discussions with the Aspie Insiders, we highlighted "Planning" and took a look at how different people stay on schedule! Here are some of the ideas the Insiders had:

• For some, keeping things written down on paper seemed to do the trick. One Insider said that he keeps everything jotted down in his planner, which sits on his desk at home. The benefit to this technique is that it's tactile — rather than having your schedule on a computer (which you must access), everything is stored in a physical place. One might assume that this same Insider prefers physical books to an e-reader.
• Another Insider said that he keeps everything stored on his phone, which he carries with him all the time. He even uses a few apps to help him manage his schedule, and in our technology-driven world, why not? The benefit to this electronic option is one of space and accessibility. Unlike a physical planner, a phone is small and provides many different functions. And if you use the right app or program, your schedule can be accessed from your computer or even online (meaning that as long as you have internet access, you can see your plans).
• Our Insiders noted that when using electronic devices like phones to act as a planner, there exists a tendency to disregard one's schedule. Having everything stored in one place is nice, but the physical presence of a planner (or calendar, to-do list, etc.) demands one's attention. As such, someone suggested using sticky notes as simple reminders. It's an easy way to grab one's attention and help people stay on task.

The Insiders have discussed some of the other executive functioning skills, and one thing that stands out about all of them is that it takes some initiative to get better at them. Becoming a perfect planner might require time and practice, but even before that a person must be aware that they can improve in this area. Since our ability to make decisions and perform these skills is housed in our prefrontal cortex, a person can be in their mid-twenties before they feel they can successfully perform such tasks. Given that, the sooner a person can be exposed to the idea of executive functioning skills, the better.

 (A little too much planning perhaps?)

TAKE SOME TIME TO THINK ABOUT HOW GOOD YOU ARE AT PLANNING. WHAT TRICKS DO YOU USE TO STAY ON SCHEDULE? AND IF YOU'RE NOT THE BEST PLANNER, WHAT DO YOU THINK WILL HELP YOU TO GET BETTER AT IT? POST YOUR COMMENTS BELOW!