Effective Strategies to Manage To-Do Lists When Executive Functioning Is Challenging

Denise Daskal has experimented with numerous methods to enhance her executive functioning—the cognitive abilities involved in managing time and achieving objectives—including the Pomodoro technique, power poses, and various planners.

She has devoted extensive time exploring resources such as TikTok videos, books, and courses to improve her organization and concentration both professionally and personally. Despite these efforts, the multitude of approaches has often left her feeling drained.

“When overwhelmed by too many demands at once, my mind tends to shut down,” said Ms. Daskal, 63, from Dearborn, Michigan, who was diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) several years ago.

Executive functioning can be compromised by conditions such as ADHD, autism spectrum disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and depression. Additionally, life phases like menopause, as well as everyday challenges like parenting young children, poor sleep, or skipping meals, can disrupt a person’s ability to concentrate and complete tasks.

Understanding executive functioning and identifying effective coping mechanisms can help individuals better manage daily responsibilities.

Executive functions refer to the mental skills that enable people to transform intentions into actions, explained Ari Tuckman, a psychologist and author focused on ADHD productivity.