Living with ADHD sprinkles and Executive Skills

Ah, executive skills. Those elusive life superpowers we’re all supposed to magically master by adulthood, like filing a tax return without crying or pretending to enjoy small talk at work parties. But if this chart of executive skills (yes, I’ve analyzed it like a detective examining a coffee stained map) is anything to go by, it seems that some of us are destined to be “executive interns” for life. Especially if you, like me, have ADHD. Yes, ADHD: the uninvited party guest who shows up, eats all your crisps, and leaves your brain looking like the aftermath of a toddler’s birthday party.

Let’s dive in, skill by skill, because apparently, my ability to overanalyze everything is off the charts, a true ADHD superpower.


Flexibility: The Jedi Mind Trick of Life

Apparently, flexibility is my strongest skill. Who knew? If by “flexibility,” they mean my uncanny ability to switch between procrastinating on ten different tasks simultaneously, then yes, I’m practically a yoga instructor of the ADHD mind.

Take last month, for example, when the coffee shop ran out of oat milk. I stared at the barista like she’d just informed me my dog was joining a cult. Eventually, I muttered, “Fine. Almond milk then,” but the emotional damage was done. ADHD flexibility means I’ll roll with the punches, eventually, but not without some dramatic inner monologue first.


Stress Tolerance: High Scores, Low Chill

Next up, stress tolerance. Allegedly, I’m pretty good at this too, which is ironic considering my ADHD fueled brain likes to catastrophize every minor inconvenience. My blood pressure spikes every time my phone buzzes with a “critical update”. But fine, I’ll give myself credit where it’s due: I’ve survived group projects, holiday dinners with opinionated relatives, and that one time I accidentally replied-all to an email chain. Stress tolerance? Nailed it (with a side of caffeine).

Pro tip: If your ADHD makes stress tolerance tricky, try adopting my foolproof coping mechanism, laughter. Sure, it’s slightly unhinged laughter, the kind that makes people edge away from you in elevators, but it gets the job done.


Working Memory: A Goldfish with Wi-Fi

Working memory is where things start to unravel. If my brain were a computer, I’d be that browser with 47 tabs open, half of them frozen. ADHD makes this extra fun because the tabs refresh randomly, and one of them is always playing “Baby Shark.”

Here’s how my working memory usually plays out: I walk into the kitchen to grab a snack, only to stand there blankly because I’ve forgotten why I’m there. So I grab a cookie out of spite, then go back to my laptop and remember I was supposed to get a pen. It’s not exactly the stuff of legend, but it’s my ADHD truth.


Task Initiation: The Art of Avoidance

Let’s be honest: Task initiation is just a fancy term for “not putting stuff off until the apocalypse.” If this were a video game, I’d still be on the tutorial level, Googling “how to start the actual quest.” ADHD doesn’t help. It’s like having a little gremlin whispering, “But what if we organized the spice rack instead?”

Remember that one time I decided to clean out my drawers? Three hours later, I was sitting in a pile of clothes, reading old birthday cards and debating whether to keep a scarf I haven’t worn since 2013. Did the closet ever get cleaned? No. Did I discover that I’m excellent at inventing distractions? Absolutely.


Metacognition: Thinking About Thinking… About Procrastinating

Metacognition is supposed to be my middle tier skill, which I interpret as “I’m good at thinking about doing things but less good at actually doing them.” ADHD turns this into an Olympic sport. Case in point: The other night, I lay awake for an hour pondering whether I should reorganize my little bookshelf by color or genre. By the time I finally decided, I was too tired to do it. Genius, really.


Goal-Directed Persistence: When Netflix Isn’t the Goal

You know that scene in every motivational sports movie where the protagonist grits their teeth and powers through against all odds? Yeah, that’s not me. My version of goal-directed persistence is deciding to bake cookies, realizing I’m out of sugar, and deciding it’s fate telling me to eat chips instead. ADHD goal setting is like building a sandcastle during high tide, a noble effort, but fleeting.

The trick here, from my ADHD coach I’ve learned, is to trick myself into setting micro goals. Like, instead of saying, “Write the Great American Novel,” I say, “Write a single coherent paragraph.” Baby steps. Sometimes you’ve got to ADHD hack your way into productivity.


Sustained Attention: Squirrel!

If sustained attention were an Olympic sport, I’d be that athlete who trips over their shoelaces during the opening ceremony. ADHD doesn’t just make it hard to focus, it makes focusing feel like trying to herd cats, in a thunderstorm, while juggling.

Case in point: I started writing this article with a clear vision, but halfway through, I ended up Googling “how tall is the Eiffel Tower” because apparently that was urgent. And yes, the answer is 1,083 feet, in case you were curious.


Emotional Control: The Drama Queen Chronicles

Emotional control is… a work in progress. I like to think I’m fairly chill, but ADHD tends to turn minor mishaps into full-blown soap operas. Like the time my favorite pen ran out of ink and I spiraled into an existential crisis. (“If my pen can’t be reliable, what CAN I trust?”)

But hey, the important thing is that I bounce back quickly. And by “quickly,” I mean after a cup of coffee and a heartfelt pep talk in the bathroom mirror.


Organization: Chaos, But Make It Cute

Organization is that one skill I aspire to master, but ADHD keeps eluding me, like a cat that’ll only cuddle when you’re busy. My laptop desktop currently looks like an archaeological dig site, with layers of notebooks, sticky notes, and snacks forming a timeline of my bad habits.

I’ve tried bullet journaling, but it always ends up devolving into a series of doodles and cryptic notes like, “Don’t forget THE THING.” What thing? Past me isn’t returning my calls.


Planning/Prioritization: Choose Your Own Adventure (and Then Regret It)

Here’s the thing about planning and prioritization: It’s not that I can’t do it; it’s that I’m too ambitious. ADHD planning is like deciding to climb Everest in flip flops. I’ll plan to clean the entire apartment, reorganize my life, and bake a pie all in one afternoon. Spoiler alert: None of it happens, and I end up watching old episodes of Pokemon instead. (Ash Ketchum, teach me your ways)


Time Management: Procrastination’s Evil Twin

Time management is the arch nemesis of my existence. ADHD makes this extra spicy by turning every deadline into a game of chicken. I’ve tried every app, hack, and motivational quote in the book, but somehow, I always find myself cramming a week’s worth of tasks into a single frantic afternoon. Fun fact: The phrase “time flies when you’re having fun” also applies to “time flies when you’re scrolling Instagram instead of doing laundry.”


Response Inhibition: The “Should I Say That?” Struggle

Finally, we arrive at response inhibition, or as I like to call it, “the art of not blurting out everything you’re thinking.” ADHD makes this a full contact sport. Case in point: That time I told my boss, “Wow, you’re REALLY organized!” in a tone that apparently came off as sarcasm. (It wasn’t.)

If you, too, struggle with this skill, try my patented method: Bite your tongue. Literally. It hurts, but it works. Mostly.


Final Thoughts: Progress, Not Perfection

So, what’s the takeaway here? Are executive skills important? Absolutely. Are they also an ongoing work in progress? You bet. ADHD or not, life is a messy, chaotic journey of self-improvement.

If you’re reading this and thinking, “Wow, I’m not alone in this ADHD-fueled chaos,” then mission accomplished. Let’s embrace the messiness together, one small victory at a time. And if all else fails, there’s always almond milk. (I’m learning to love it.)

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