Executive Functioning Workbook For Teens

• Set a “Done Check.” One final box that means “I’m ready to leave.”

Create a Step-by-Step Morning Plan Using Visual Cues

Time required: 20-30 minutes

Materials needed: A notebook or paper, a pen/marker, and (optional) sticky notes or index cards.

Your Turn: Build your Morning Flow Card (with an example)

• Write your Start Moment on the top line:

Example: “Alarm goes off at 7:10” or “I stand up after brushing my teeth.”

• List the steps you actually do in the morning (even if they’re messy).

Aim for 5-8 steps. Don’t worry about order yet.

• Put the steps in order and number them 1-8.

Use this rule: each step should be something you can finish in one sitting (like “brush teeth,” not “get ready for school”).

• Add visual cues by turning each step into a checkbox line.

Use “☐” before each step or boxes you can tick.

• Add “Where is it?” tiny notes for at least 2 steps.

Example: “Deodorant: top drawer” or “Backpack: behind the door.”

• Add one backup line for the hardest step.

Pick the step that usually makes you stall (often: shower, hair, choosing clothes, or leaving the house).

• Create a Done Check at the bottom:

Example: “☐ Shoes on + backpack grabbed + lunch packed (if needed).”

• Test it with a pretend run. Read your card out loud once in order.

If you pause for more than 5 seconds to guess what to do next, tighten the wording.

Here’s a completed example you can copy the style of:

Morning Flow Card (Example)

Start Moment: ☐ Alarm goes off

☐ 1) Stand up + drink water (cup on nightstand)

☐ 2) Bathroom: brush teeth (toothbrush cup)

☐ 3) Quick face wash (towel on rack)

☐ 4) Clothes on (grab outfit from chair)

☐ 5) Deodorant (top drawer)

☐ 6) Hair: brush only (backup: tie it up if I’m rushing)

☐ 7) Shoes + socks

☐ 8) Backpack + keys + lunch (behind door hook)

Done Check: ☐ Ready to leave (shoes on + backpack grabbed)

Fill-in space (make yours now)

Start Moment: _______________________________________________________________________________

• ☐ _____________________________________________________________________________________________

• ☐ _____________________________________________________________________________________________

• ☐ _____________________________________________________________________________________________

• ☐ _____________________________________________________________________________________________

• ☐ _____________________________________________________________________________________________

• ☐ _____________________________________________________________________________________________

• ☐ _____________________________________________________________________________________________

• ☐ _____________________________________________________________________________________________

“Where is it?” notes (2 minimum):

• Step #__ item location: ____________________________________________________________________

• Step #__ item location: ____________________________________________________________________

Backup line (for the hardest step):

Step #__ normal: ___________________________________________________________________________

Backup if stuck: _______________________________________________________________________________

Done Check: ☐ _____________________________________________________________________________

Your Turn (quick rule check): Circle your hardest step. Is it written in a way you can do in under 5 minutes? Yes / No

If “No,” rewrite it shorter: ______________________________________________________________________

Use Your Visual Morning Routine in Real Life (Without the Drama)

Now for the part that actually matters: using the Morning Flow Card when your brain is tired, distracted, or running late. The trick is that your card isn’t just for “perfect mornings.” It’s for imperfect mornings too - because those are the mornings you’ll see most often.

Scenario 1: The alarm goes off and you want to stay in bed.

Outcome you’re aiming for: you start moving within 30 seconds.

Do this: Put your card where you’ll see it while you’re still in bed (or right as you stand up). Your Start Moment is “Alarm goes off,” so the first check is easy: stand up + drink water (or whatever your first step is). If you don’t do the full routine, you still do Step 1. That counts.

Scenario 2: You can’t find something (like your deodorant or keys).

Outcome you’re aiming for: you don’t spiral into “I ruined everything.”

Do this: Your “Where is it?” notes act like a map. If the item isn’t there, use your backup line: choose the closest substitute step you can do fast (example: “skip deodorant but put on clothes + search for it after I’m dressed”). Then return to the card. The card keeps you from throwing the whole morning away.

Scenario 3: You get distracted mid-routine (phone, gaming thoughts, random stuff).

Outcome you’re aiming for: you return to the next step, not restart from the beginning.

Do this: When you notice you’re off-task, point at the last completed box on your card, then move to the very next box. That “next step” focus matters. It’s how you avoid the “well, since I messed up, I’ll just quit” trap.

Apply it like this: keep your Morning Flow Card in the same place every day, like on the bathroom mirror or inside your backpack pocket. Consistency is the cheat code.

Apply It (scenario practice):

Write one sentence for each:

• If I’m stuck in bed, I will do Step 1: ________________________________________________

• If I can’t find an item, I will use my backup: _________________________________________

• If I get distracted, I will go to the next box: _________________________________________

Reflect: What’s Working (and What You’ll Fix Next)

You’re not grading yourself. You’re debugging a system. That’s very different. Your Morning Flow Card is allowed to change as your mornings change.

Question 1: Which step on your Morning Flow Card is most likely to stall you, and what exact backup line did you write for it?

______________________________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________

__________________________________________________

__________________________________________________

Question 2: When you pretend-run your card, where did you pause or get confused (even for 5 seconds)? Rewrite that step to be clearer.

______________________________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________

__________________________________________________

__________________________________________________

Question 3: Where will your card live so you see it at the right moment (Start Moment)? Write the location in a way you can check daily.

______________________________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________

__________________________________________________

__________________________________________________

Your closing check: Look at your Done Check. If someone else asked “How do you know you’re ready?”, could you point to that one final box and answer instantly? If yes, you built a routine that actually helps your brain.

Small win for today: you made mornings more visual. That’s how you turn “I don’t know where to start” into “Oh - next step.” And that’s the whole game.

End of chapter one. 6 more chapters in the full book.