March: Time Management — Making Time Feel Less Slippery
This is the third installment in our year-long series. Check back each month for new topics with tips and practices to improve your executive function skills.
Executive function skills help us get things done, and time management is one of the most critical — and most misunderstood — tools in the EF toolbox.
If you've ever said, "I have no concept of time," or “Where did the day go?” — you’re not alone. Time can feel abstract and slippery, especially for ADHD brains and busy families.
But with a few mindset shifts and simple tools, time can become something you actually see, plan, and use more intentionally.
Time Blindness Is Real (and Common)
People with ADHD or EF challenges often experience something called time blindness — the inability to accurately sense or estimate how long things will take. That means:
You might constantly underestimate how long tasks will take.
You may get caught up in something small and lose track of time entirely.
You often feel surprised that the day is over, or that something is due “already.”
This isn’t a character flaw — it’s a brain-based challenge. And the good news is: it can be supported.
You Don’t Need More Time — You Need to See It
The first step in improving time management is making time visible. Try one of these tools:
Visual timers – to show the passage of time in a concrete way.
Time-blocked schedules – to group similar tasks and reduce decision fatigue.
Daily planners – especially ones that include both a to-do list and a timeline.
When we rely solely on our brain to keep time, we get overwhelmed and overloaded. But when we externalize time — write it down, map it out, track it visually — we give our executive function system a huge boost.
What Time Management Actually Means
Time management isn’t just about being punctual.
It’s about:
Planning ahead
Estimating how long things will take
Starting tasks at the right time
Making room for rest, transitions, and the unexpected
For families, this often means creating shared calendars, building in buffers, and checking in weekly (like in a Sunday family meeting).
For students, it might mean learning how to break down assignments and plan backward from the due date.
For adults, it could look like color-coding the week, creating “theme days,” or batching similar tasks together.
Your Executive Function Practice for March
Try one of these strategies this month:
Time Estimate Game – Before starting a task, guess how long it’ll take. Then time it and compare.
Theme Your Days – Assign broad categories to each weekday to reduce daily decision-making (e.g., Monday = admin, Wednesday = creative).
Use Timers for Transitions – Set a 5-minute “warning” timer before switching activities — great for kids and adults.
Make Your Time Visible – Hang a weekly calendar, use sticky notes on your desk, or color-block your digital calendar.
Final Thoughts: Time Is a Skill, Not a Moral Issue
Time management isn’t about being “good” or “bad” at time. It’s a skill — one that can be learned, practiced, and supported.
If your days often feel like a blur, this is your month to start grounding time. Not by cramming in more, but by gently shaping your time around your real life and needs.
Coming Up Next Month
April: Organization — we’ll talk about systems, stuff, and setting yourself up for success.