What Is Executive Functioning And How Do You Support it?
Why Follow Through Feels Hard
One of the most common questions I hear from clients (students and professionals) is : “Why can’t I just follow through on what I said I was going to do?”
They’re not lacking motivation. They’re not lazy. They’re struggling with something much more complex: executive functioning.
Executive functioning is often described as the “CEO of the brain, which is HOW you do WHAT you DECIDE to do. And each word in that sentence uses different part of your brain.
Key Components of Executive Functioning
It’s not one skill-it’s a series of skills that include that REQUIRE systems:
- Setting a goal
- Gathering and organizing information
- Considering options
- Making a decision
- Taking action
- Monitoring progress
- Adjusting when needed
Each step requires different cognitive processes. Which means breakdowns can happen at any point—not just at follow-through. Executive functioning is not just about planning or time management. It is influenced by multiple systems working together.
Core Executive Functioning Skills
Working Memory (Your Brain’s “Holding Space”)
Working memory is your ability to hold and manipulate new information. Think of it like a cup—everyone’s capacity is different and sometimes stress or anxiety can be causes because you aren't supporting it enough, which causes you to be constatly "feeling" like you are forgetting something.
Time Blindness (It’s Not What You Think)
Time blindness is often treated as a fixed trait. It’s not. It’s usually driven by:
- Hyperfocus
- Avoidance
- Desire for certainty
- Lack of supports
Emotional Regulation (The Hidden Driver):
Emotional dysregulation directly impacts attention, memory, and decision-making. If emotional demand is high, executive functioning capacity drops.
Cognitive Flexibility (Your Ability to Pivot):
Cognitive flexibility is your ability to consider different perspectives, shift strategies, and learn from outcomes. Reframing failure as data, not loss, is key to building this skill.
Inhibitory Control (Your Brain’s “Pause Button”):
Inhibitory control helps you delay impulses, stay focused, and resist distractions. It’s supported by planning, realistic time expectations, and clear boundaries—not just willpower.
Pro-tip: Instead of asking, “Why can’t I follow through?” Ask: Which part of the process is breaking down—and what support does it need?
What Makes My Approach Different
This is where my work intentionally looks different. I don’t just help clients get things done. And I don’t just give them systems to follow. We build systems together—based on how their brain works, their capacity, and their real-life demands.
When clients work with me, we:
- Define baseline before setting goals
- Assess capacity before making commitments
- Break goals into realistic, actionable steps
- Identify where breakdowns are happening
- Build decision-making frameworks that reduce overwhelm
If you’re interested to learn more about my process and the work I do through 1:1 coaching or behavioral traits assessments, book a free consult call. If you are interested in learning more about the brain and impacts of neurodivergences and strategies in a group setting check out my Adult Neurodivergent Learning Lab
Meet Jane
Jane Singleton, Founder & Executive Coach, Launchpad for Life, is an expert in neurodiversity and has over 13 years of experience as a learning and behavioral specialist and educational program manager. Jane helps individuals, teams, and organizations navigate neurodiversity to optimize performance through learning how to work with cognitive and emotional strengths to enhance both leadership capacity and organizational well-being. She is an International Coaching Federation (ICF) certified executive coach (PCC) and holds an M.A. Ed in Special Education and a B.S. in Psychology and Communication Studies.
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Client Feedback and Impact
"Jane's timely, clear communication is a big plus. More generally, the chance to have a non-parental figure work with my son to help him develop and focus on goals made everyone happier! He was willing to accept suggestions and advice from you that he would have resisted if coming from his parents. According to my son, he felt Jane sometimes knew him better than he knew himself which made him more trusting."
"Excellent topic and session with a lot to take back to my HR director so we can have an improved on-boarding and work environment"
"Neurodiversity is such an important topic for every organization. I will be taking this information back to my organizational leadership since there is such a gap in understanding neurodiversity amongst employees especially at the leadership level."
"Drove home her key messages and takeaways in the 30 minutes really well. Very well versed expert in her subject matter. Discussions of learning and the brain can get complicated but she helped break it down very clearly.
"Our school was able to engage with Jane and had her speak during a virtual parent club. Jane was engaging, made the talk interactive, and provided extremely great knowledge and expertise to our families. I would absolutely hire her again!"
"My daughter felt very comfortable with Jane because she created a safe space for my daughter to converse with her and talk about her plans for the future. Jane was patient and encouraging but also persistent when needed. The college essay my daughter wrote was absolutely perfect! I would recommend Jane to anyone for help with the college application process."
"Great support for job search strategies and prioritizing. Highly recommend!"
"Jane has lead workshops for my parents, staff, and students. Her workshops are personalized, interactive and engaging. I highly recommend her workshops to anycommunity."
" I was looking for a coach to help keep me accountable and serve as a sounding board as I got my business off the ground. She is an excellent coach who is able to walk the fine line between compassion and progress. I always felt a genuine interest in my success and well-being while challenging me to stay focused on my goals. A couple of the Jane's standout qualities are to ask the questions that help explore root causes of my anxiety in different situations and to help me enhance my focus on the strategies and tactics most important to the success of my business."
"Jane has helped me through my second fall semester in college and has helped me with starting to find jobs before I left college. She has really helped me progress through my life."
"Throughout my entire college essay and application process, Jane has been a huge help to me with guiding me in all the right directions and helping me focus and secure my goal. I was able to come up and write a great essay with the help of her and was admitted to so many schools because of it. Thanks again Jane : )))"
"Jane has a wealth of information, advice and experience. Her ability to listen to and identify my obstacles is impeccable. We worked together on setting daily schedules, time blocking, time management and budgeting. Her practical application has helped me set and achieve both my personal and professional goals. Thank you!"
"I had a very good experience with Jane as a coach and she helped me develop a career plan and work on interview skills that helped me land a solid job out of college."
"Jane's presentation was very thought-provoking in terms of how successful leadership can create a positive, supportive culture in a school or organization."
"One of the most relatable & useful presentations on ADHD that I've ever attended! (As a person with ADHD, I've attended plenty) You articulated things that I thought were specific to my brand of quirkiness. So happy to know I'm not alone. The slides and your commentary were tremendously helpful. The BONUS was your Q&A at the end. Seriously, fantastic all-around!!"
"I appreciated that for each session you asked about goals for the session, kept us on track to cover those goals, and checked in at the end to see if I thought we covered those goals. The approach was very targeted and practical. I left each session with a clear plan for next steps that made me more likely to make real changes in my management approach. While this is the first time I worked with a personal coach, I was specifically looking for someone with experience working with a neurodiverse team. Your insights on how to communicate with and support team members with different ways of thinking and working was extremely valuable."
"Jane’s insights on how my brain works differently than others and being able to transfer that information to create goals and habits that are best suited for me was an amazing experience . The visual breakdowns of complex ideas and concepts so that they are easily understandable and transferable to everyday life. So you get the “oh that’s why I feel this way” moment and shifting your habits makes a lot more sense"