Executive Functioning Success in its 8th year, and if I have learned anything, it is that running a business requires a LOT of strong executive function skills! Last week during our staff meeting, where we were knee deep in problem solving and planning, I suddenly started to giggle. I couldn’t stop myself because I had this “flash” of amazement that I was sitting in an office, being the leader of a team of dedicated women discussing issues that I could NEVER have imagined eight years ago.
How had I, with my brain’s significant executive function challenges, gotten to this point?
Well, I’ve learned to support my brain’s weaknesses AND surrounded myself with awesome helpers with brains that fill in my brain’s gaps. Working together enables EFS to help so many people with a growing number of courses and products. I could NOT do what I do without my team.
Here’s a quick rundown of what we have been working on to help “our people” who struggle with executive function challenges.
Updating Our Website’s Shopping Cart
Our aging shopping cart on our website had some annoying limitations when it came to purchasing books and services so we undertook an update. While that might sound simple, the truth is, it has taken five months of work to make this happen. The complexity of technological interactions between the different components of scheduling, making purchases, bookkeeping, communicating with customers, and managing shipping and fulfillment was, well, a bit staggering once we got into it.
However, this team gets gold stars for strength in the executive function of goal-directed persistence! Check out our “Shiny” (Veronica’s word) new upgraded website shop.
Launching THREE New Planners for 2018/2019
We had such a positive response to our SMT adult planner for 2018, that we took the plunge to not only create an academic (August 2018 – August 2019) version of the Seeing My Time Adult Planner (so people don’t have to wait until next January to get one) but to also address the needs of students, both the middle school/high school set and the college student. The Set Up Success Student planner is selling fast!
Moving these planners through the production process started in January and will culminate with shipping all of the preorders in early July. We will do a limited production run of planners so if you are interested in getting one, please order ASAP so we print enough to meet demand.
This project required multiple executive functions: metacognition (problem solving/designing), goal-directed persistence, planning and prioritizing, time management and consistent task initiation! It also takes a lot of courage. I had to take a deep breath last week to write a check for over $1,000 to buy plastic pockets, just one component required for manufacturing the planners.
New University Affiliation for College Credit for our Professional Courses
In January, when Portland State University unexpectedly announced closing their department of continuing education at the end of this spring term, we found ourselves scrambling to find a replacement for those professionals who want credit for our courses. It turned out to require a lot of goal-directed persistence but we are very happy to announce our new partnership with Seattle Pacific University.
With this change, our course designed for classroom teachers, Building Executive Function Skills in the Classroom now costs less AND you can take a whole year to complete the course which will make it easier for busy teachers. There is now open enrollment throughout the year for this self-paced class.
Both of our professional courses are available now for registration! Those are available to view on our courses page.
Seeing My Time In Action
This was our newest offering to “our people,” a 30-Day Challenge to accomplish a goal. I confess, I was the force behind this online support group because I needed motivation to tackle organizing a room at my office that had devolved into piles and…
…It worked! I no longer dread opening the door to that room. Because of participation in SMT in Action, a book was started, a walk-in-closet was organized, a paper filing system was put together that got rid of piles, blogs were written and calories consumed recorded.
Veronica and I had a great time supporting folks to activate their executive functioning to reach personal goals. We’ll offer this course again – so keep an eye out for it in the newsletter. I have a closet downstairs that needs purging this fall…
Whew!
Writing all of that down brings into focus the necessity of using multiple executive function skills to run a business to help people. I am also reminded of the importance of accepting the fact that my challenged brain needs support and that EFS couldn’t – wouldn’t – exist without a team effort. Kudos to all of my team!
Which of your executive function skills need support? Who can you enlist to help you reach your goals? Remember to celebrate any small executive function achievements!
Little by little…
Marydee
Marydee…congratulations on all your great successes and for all that you to do in support of teaching executive function skills.Thanks for this reminder naming the executive process steps. I am going to paste them up as reminder of the skills I am working on developing.
“This project required multiple executive functions: metacognition (problem solving/designing), goal-directed persistence, planning and prioritizing, time management and consistent task initiation! It also takes a lot of courage”.
Thank you Dale! Marydee is so grateful to be a part of such a wonderful and supportive community. You are a big part of that! Little by little. -Veronica