Goal pursuit is difficult for people with ADHD. But why? Part of it has to do with low executive function, but what is executive function, anyways?
Let’s start with the phrase itself, “low executive function.” Can you think of a more abstract and unhelpful phrase? I’m sure I’m not the only one whose eyes gloss over when someone mentions low executive function (and if you have ADHD, like me, you hear this phrase a lot!). So what does it actually mean? And what can you do about it?
To make it easier to wrap our heads around, I drew a picture of how I explain low executive function to my ADHD coaching clients.
Low executive function essentially means it’s difficult to pursue your goals (left side of drawing), whether the goal is a small task or a huge project.
But why are goals harder to pursue with low executive function? Because the cognitive skills needed (remembering the goal, figuring out next steps, actually starting, tracking time, resisting distractions) require significant cognitive effort. That effort depletes your mental energy, leaving even less available for those same cognitive tasks.
Low executive function produces a downward spiral that makes goal pursuit more and more difficult, the longer you try to persist with a task. If you have ADHD, you’re likely to frequently find yourself in this downward spiral.
There are two key takeaways from this:
- When you hear people talking about “low executive function,” they’re essentially talking about difficulty with goal pursuit.
- The drawing points not only to what low executive function is, but also where we can intervene: we need to decrease the cognitive struggle, decrease the cognitive effort needed, or increase our mental energy.
There’s a reason task and time management skills are the first thing taught to ADHDers—both decrease the cognitive demands of goal pursuit. If more of your goal planning and execution is done outside of your head in your task list, for example, that lightens your cognitive load. That’s why task and time management are a great place to start for addressing low executive function.
Then you have mind management techniques that can restore the depleted executive function. And finally pull management techniques decrease your need for high executive function in the first place — if you feel a strong pull to dive into a task, little effort is needed to start and sustain the work.
When you’re struggling to stay on track with work goals, what’s one activity or technique that really helps you?