Executive Function
ADHD executive function checklist
Executive function gets lighter when priorities, decisions, reminders, and return points stop living only in working memory.
A useful executive function checklist does not ask your brain to hold more. It moves the system into view so the next action is easier to find after stress, interruption, or decision fatigue.
The external brain checklist
Write the priority filter
Sort by impact, urgency, energy, and support needed. The filter should reveal one next move, not create a new planning project.
Separate deciding from doing
Capture options first. Then pick the rule. Then choose the action. Mixing all three can make the task feel heavier than it is.
Leave a return point
Write where to restart: the file, page, tab, person, or next sentence. Your future self should not have to reconstruct the map.
Follow-through needs memory support
Follow-through is easier when reminders are attached to visible places: a calendar block, a checklist, a note beside the object, or a recurring review. Memory is useful, but it should not be the whole system.
Where to start in the series
If planning, priorities, decisions, memory, or follow-through are loudest today, start with Book 9: Building Executive Function That Actually Works.