The 5 Pillars of Executive Function: A Checkup for Decision-Making and Reliability
The past month has been a whirlwind with our twin boys graduating from high school. Amidst the endings and celebrations, my wife and I have reflected on our boys’ level of preparedness for greater independence. Specifically, we wondered how ready they are to elevate their executive function to make decisions and demonstrate reliability on their own.
This quickly turned to self-assessment. Approaching my 50th birthday, I had to ask: How well do I make decisions, and how reliable am I? Could I still improve my own executive function?
To frame this up for my sons and for myself, my wife and I highlighted the five areas of management required to demonstrate decision-making and reliability. Each of these areas can be continuously evaluated and improved. I invite you to consider with us how well you manage your:
- Space. Consider the physical spaces that you inhabit: your workspace, your vehicle, your home. Are they clean, organized, and essential rather than cluttered? Do your spaces feel inviting and accurately reflect your core values?
- Time. Look at how you spend your time across work, play, and rest. Do you have clarity on what matters most, intentionally prioritizing activities and blocking out time so the important doesn’t get lost in the urgent? High executive function requires finding efficiencies and protecting yourself from time-wasting habits like doom-scrolling.
- Relationships. Think about the quality, breadth, and depth of your important relationships, both personal and professional. Do you set healthy boundaries rather than over-functioning? Are you authentic rather than performing? Reliable leaders maintain a posture of grace and practice being curious when they are tempted to defend themselves or get even.
- Affairs. Contemplate everything you are invested in, from your finances to projects and roles where others are counting on you. Can you set clear goals, follow through on what you said you would do, and maintain an “ownership” rather than a “victim” mindset in the face of mistakes? To steward your resources wisely, you must be able to balance short-term and long-term objectives, resisting the quick fix.
- Self. Analyze all aspects of your physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual health. Do you have a committed plan for physical fitness, sleep, and nutrition? Do you cultivate a growth mindset, complete with a strategy for managing your thoughts, your spiritual life, and processing hard emotions? Finally, do you have a regular structure to promote your well-being while contributing to something greater than yourself?
Why do these five areas help with decision-making and reliability? Because if you’re unclear or incapable of demonstrating competence in these five areas, you’ll be reactive, passive, and insecure about your values and preferences. You’ll tend to reflect what other people want you to be rather than being the best version of yourself.
Consider rating yourself on a 1-5 scale in each item and committing to working on the areas where you rate yourself lower. Spend time with a coach, take a course, talk with a trusted friend, and remind yourself daily.
Whether you’re graduating high school, starting something new, or going through a life change, it’s never too late to work on your executive function.
