ADHD, Executive Functioning and Time Management: Why “Just Use a Planner” Doesn’t Work

Leslie Josel is an award-winning ADHD coach and the founder of Order Out Of Chaos, a global organization helping students with ADHD and executive functioning challenges succeed in school and in life. Whether you’re an adult with ADHD or a parent with an ADHD child, Leslie has a wealth of practical information you can use immediately!

You can watch our interview by clicking on the graphic below or read the highlights beneath it:

Understanding Executive Functioning

• Leslie uses the term “executive control” instead of “executive functioning” because control gives students a sense of agency.
• Executive functioning = purposeful actions involving time, focus, organization, memory, and mood regulation.
• ADHD is actually an executive functioning disorder, not a focus disorder.

Time Management + Executive Functioning

• Individuals with EF challenges struggle with:
  • Knowing where they sit in time.
  • Tracking how long things take.
  • “Future awareness” — the ability to see the not now and act on it in the present.
• People with ADHD often live in two time zones: now and not now.

Neurodiversity

• Neurodivergence means the brain processes, learns, and remembers differently — not better or worse.
• Universal learning principles benefit all brains, not just neurodivergent ones.

Identifying Possible EF or ADHD Challenges

• For adults: red flags include chronic lateness, missed deadlines, difficulty prioritizing, or hiding struggles.
• For children: signs can include overwhelm, anxiety, disorganization, difficulty remembering, or trouble sitting still.

Parenting & Communication Strategies

• First step: understand the specific executive function challenges (working memory, time, mood regulation, etc.).
• Support looks different depending on the child’s needs.
• A strong principle: More choice and control = more motivation and less anxiety.
  • Use phrases like: “Would you be willing…?”, “What do you think about…?” instead of “You need to…”

Movement as a Learning Tool

• Movement helps lay down learning and improves focus, activation, and memory.
• Some students cannot visually and auditorily process simultaneously — movement helps them absorb information.
• Movement prevents brain drain, reducing the need for dopamine hits like social media distractions.

Procrastination Insights

• Biggest cause of procrastination: not knowing how to start due to weak decision-making EF skills.
• Help students by asking: “Do you understand what you’re being asked to do?”
• Key strategies:
  • Externalize time with analog clocks, timers, calendars.
  • Help students see done — use playlists or timers to “hold” future time.
  • Separate setup from the task to reduce overwhelm.

Handling Pushback

• Start small: move kids from A → B, not A → Z.
• Give choice within parent-set parameters.
• Incremental progress builds long-term habits and reduces resistance.

Leslie’s Own Productivity Habits

• Writes everything down — avoids relying on memory.
• Uses one communication channel (email only) to prevent overwhelm.
• Batches similar tasks and sets a 57-minute timer — odd numbers stimulate more engagement than even ones.

Connect with Leslie Josel:

Website https://www.orderoochaos.com/ or https://lesliejosel.com/

LinkedIn        https://www.linkedin.com/in/leslie-josel-adhd-student-parent-coach/

YouTube       https://www.youtube.com/orderoochaos

Instagram     https://www.instagram.com/order.out.of.chaos/

Facebook      https://www.facebook.com/groups/orderoutofchaos and https://www.facebook.com/orderoutofchaos

About Leslie Josel:

Leslie Josel is an award-winning ADHD coach, and the founder of Order Out of Chaos®, a global organization helping students with ADHD and executive functioning challenges succeed in school and in life. She’s the creator of the Academic Planner: A Tool for Time Management® and author of three acclaimed books. A dynamic speaker and the former voice behind ADDitude Magazine’s “Dear ADHD Family Coach®” column, Leslie has been named one of the Top 20 Time Management Experts in the World by Global Gurus for eight years running.

For more recommendations on which time management techniques to use to improve your focus, check out The Inefficiency Assassin: Time Management Tactics for Working Smarter, Not Longer.