The Smart but Scattered Guide to Success: How to Use Your Brain's Executive Skills to Keep Up, Stay Calm, and Get Organized at Work and at Home Paperback – January 16, 2016

I’ve had this book on my book shelf since January of 2019 and just got around to reading it. What a mistake. I wish I would have started it right away. I’m just glad I finally read it. Don’t hesitate.This books highlights the main 12 skills that we use in everyday home and work life. It’s starts with a questionnaire that (if you are honest with yourself while completing the questionnaire) will tell you what skills are your strengths and which are your weaknesses. It also directs you to do one for work and one for home. Most of us react differently to situations at work than we would at home.Let me start by saying that before reading this book, I couldn’t figure out why I was struggling with time management despite all the systems I had in place and other things that I tried to improve it to no avail. It turned out it was task initiation (procrastination on a particular task) I was struggling with not time management. I was working on improving the wrong skill.Some skills are even have multiple skills embodied in them. A few are even split in two areas where a different set of skills are used for each. Organization for example, has two areas. Creating systems and maintaining them. I’ve always been great at creating organization but not so good at maintaining them. Creating systems uses three skills that are my strengths while the maintenance portion uses skills that are my weaknesses.It was a complete eye-opening read for me. I learned a lot about myself (and other people) and why I was struggling in certain areas and was so good in other areas. So make sure you read/listen to every chapter. Even if you aren’t struggling with that particular skill, there are things to learn about it. You will also learn a lot about other people, be able to identify skills they might be struggling in and adjust how you react to them.But with that being said, the book gave great explanation and lots of strategies and implementation steps to help create plans to improve in all the skills. There are action plan forms in the book that you can download from their website so you can print them as needed.Each chapter is laid out in the same order and gives real world examples to connect the information provided in the chapter. There are lots of additional resources listed like books, websites and apps to assist with that skill.The Smart But Scattered Guide to Success version is for adults. However, they have written other smart but scattered books specifically for school aged children and teens. I would have loved to have these books when I was raising my kids to be adults. A must for every person/family.

If you hate the smol beanification of ADHD online, this book is a breath of fresh air. The authors write to you like you're a capable adult who wants to work on your skills and provide great templates, definitions, and concept breakdowns. I've tried watching 20 minute youtube videos like "10 Tricks To Make Your ADHD Life Easier!!!", but I would always already have figured out 8 or 9 of the environmental/situational modifications they' would list. If that's also true for you, don't worry, that section in this book is only a couple pages. Currently halfway through this book and can't wait to slowly work my way through the rest!

I struggle with executive functioning skills. I have a severe deficit do to a multiple sclerosis diagnosis coupled with Parkinson's. This book has helped me develop many and provided me with many compensatory techniques. I appreciate the candid and realistic measures that are presented in this book to assist with overcoming your shortcomings. Please, if you're contemplating purchasing this do not wait. I don't say this to be dramatic but trust me: it will change your life literally.

She loved it, great gift

I've struggled to get things done all my life. This book gives me hope, and helped me get started.

I worked in a trauma-informed setting with high school students for two school years. I needed something in addition to what the school offered in the way of training and faculty support. Being left on my own to figure it out, I searched and read lots of reviews. This book and its companion rose to the top of my purchase list. I have yet to be disappointed in either of these selections.

Easy to read, great ideas, and a clear path and step by step how to on increasing your ExF skills.The accompanying downloads for use are priceless!

Great book