Goal Directed Persistence is our ability to follow through to the completion of our goals and not be put off by distractions. Oftentimes people who struggle with this skill prioritize the here and now and have difficulty focusing on the future. When this skill is a strength, we are better at planning for our future.
This skill involves the ability to hold information in our minds while we perform complicated tasks. It also involves remembering lessons we learned in the past so that we can apply those lessons in the present.
When we struggle with working memory, it can look like constantly misplacing items, forgetting important tasks and details, or repeating mistakes.
When it is a strength, we are able to multi-task and can better remember important information so that we don’t lose track of what we are doing.
Response Inhibition is our ability to think before we act. People who have difficulty with this skill will often be considered impulsive or may say or do things without thinking. This can cause lots of problems with teachers, peers, family, and bosses.
When response inhibition is a strength, we are able to evaluate multiple factors before acting. We can choose when to respond and have little difficulty with patience or waiting.
Stress management is our ability to thrive in stressful situations. It allows us to deal with uncertainty and external pressure. When we struggle with our ability to handle stress, we can become easily overwhelmed and give up when things become difficult. But when stress management is a strength, we are able to focus when things become challenging without becoming reactive.
Metacognition is the ability to stand back to take in the big picture. It helps us to better problem solve and evaluate our progress. When this is a struggle, we can become lost in the details and have difficulty learning from our mistakes.
When metacognition is a strength, we understand how our behaviors impact our goals and those around us. We are also more open to feedback and creative problem solving.
Flexibility involves our abiilty to change plans when we face obstacles, setbacks, new information or when we make a mistake. When we struggle with flexibility, we can become easily frustrated and give up when life doesn’t meet our expectations.
When flexibility is a strength, we are adaptable. We will often times have a plan B when things don’t work out. Because of this, we are more likely to handle stressful situations well while reaching our goals.
Sustained Attention is the ability to maintain attention to a situation or task in spite of distractibility, fatigue, or boredom. When we struggle with sustained attention, we easily lose focus, don’t complete tasks, and can run out of steam if something takes too long.
When it is a strength, we can pay attention even when something is boring. We stay on task until the project is completed. We are also able to come back to a task if we are interrupted.
Emotion Regulation is our ability to manage our emotional reactions so that we are better able to achieve goals, complete tasks, and control our behavior.
When we struggle with emotion regulation, we can become frustrated and give up easily. Our relationships can often suffer because we are quick to anger and sensitive to criticism.
When emotion regulation is a strength, we are able to stay positive even when life is challenging. We don’t obsess over negative thoughts and can stay focused on our goals and our relationships.
Organization involves our ability to design and maintain systems for keeping track of information and /or resources. Often cluttered spaces and regularly misplacing things can be indicators that we struggle with organization.
When organization is a strength, we maintain clean work spaces. Our items have a place where they belong and we waste less time searching for the things we need.
Time management involves our ability to estimate how much time one has, how to allocate that time, and how to stay within time limits and deadlines. When we struggle with time management, we might often run late or run out of time when given a deadline.
When time management is a strength, we are better able to assess how long something will take and plan accordingly. We are also more likely to be on time for our appointments.
Task Initiation is our ability to begin a task without procrastination. When we are challenged with task initiation, we might wait until the last minute to get our work done. Because of this, tasks are often left incomplete or not done to the best of our ability.
When task initiation is a strength, we are able to get our work done quickly without the anxiety of approaching deadlines. We are able to take our time and more often complete our projects.
Planning is the skill that allows us to create a roadmap around how to reach our goal or complete a task. It also involves being able to make decisions about what should be prioritized. When we are challenged in the skill of planning, we have no idea where to begin and become easily overwhelmed with tasks.
When planning is a strength, we are able to break large goals into manageable steps. We also are able to set realistic timelines and understand what is most important.
