If you grew up listening to AM radio, you might remember radio personality Paul Harvey. Every afternoon, in that unmistakable voice, he would set the stage for a story that seemed straightforward enough. And just when you thought you understood what was happening, he would pause, and then deliver the part that changed everything.
“And now,” he would say, “you know the rest of the story”
For those with time-management and executive function challenges, there is almost always a “rest of the story.” Framing it in this context can be a helpful way to communicate how nuanced these challenges actually are – and where to find relief. Let’s talk about it.
Setting The Scene
It is 7:42am. The backpack is somewhere. Probably. There is a permission slip that needs to be signed, a water bottle that may or may not be clean, and breakfast that is technically happening but mostly being ignored. Someone cannot find their left shoe. Someone else is still in pajamas.
And the grown ups in the room aren’t doing much better.
They set two alarms. They laid out clothes the night before. They went to bed telling themselves that tomorrow would be different, that they would leave ten minutes early, that this time they would not be rushing.
And yet here they are. Again.
What Everyone Assumes
When mornings like this happen over and over, the explanations tend to sound something like this:
“They just don’t care”, “They need to try harder.” Or: “I am so disorganized” ,”I should have it together by now.”
These explanations feel logical. Cause and effect. But in my experience working with executive function challenged individuals, they are also almost always wrong.
And Now, the Rest of the Story
The 12 Executive functions are the brain’s management system. They are the set of mental skills that allow us to plan ahead, manage time, regulate our emotions, stay organized, initiate tasks, and follow through on our intentions. Most people have a vague sense that these skills exist, but have never been explicitly taught what they are, how they develop, or what happens when they are underdeveloped or simply wired differently.
The family outlined in this example all have individual executive function strengths and weaknesses. One person experiences time-blindness, but is pretty good at task initiation. Another struggles with organization, but can prioritize.
The problem isn’t their EF challenges, but a lack of awareness and knowledge of the specific areas in which they struggle. As the saying goes, you can’t read the label when you’re inside the jar. Without that knowledge of the areas where you need external support, you can’t make changes.
This means the difference between a parent who spends years wondering why their child cannot just get it together, and a parent who finally understands that their child’s brain needs a very specific kind of support to build these skills.
And that gap in understanding is what the Seeing My Time® Program offers.
Bringing it All Together
Once you understand how your brain is wired, and specifically which executive functions are your strengths and which ones need more support, everything else starts to make sense. The strategies stop feeling like one more thing to try and start feeling like something that was built for you. Because they were!
Summer is a wonderful time to get started, before the backpacks come out and the alarm clocks go back on. Private Family sessions with Julie are available for students, adults, and families, both in person in Portland and online. And if you are a professional wanting to support your students and clients, our professional courses both begin on June 15, 2026.
And if you prefer learning alongside others, our Family Group Class and Adult Group Classes are a warm and supportive place to do exactly that. Spots fill up, so if you have been thinking about reaching out, now is a really good time. We are here, we love this work, and we would love to work with you.
And finally, our Student, College and Adult 2026-2027 Academic planners are officially available. Each one comes with a mini-course to help you understand and use it.
Until then, remember that everyone has a “rest of the story.” Taking time to dig deeper is where we find it. I hope this blog inspires you to do that in this last month of the school year.
