The Young CEO: Executive Functioning at Every Age

For most kids, a messy desk or a missed deadline is not an uncommon occurrence. Usually, it’s not enough to warrant worry. But as tutors, we’ve realized over the years that starting smart study habits when you’re young and there’s a little less pressure is really helpful down the line when curriculums start to ramp up. 

Executive Functioning skills are not really “taught”, outright, in school, and instead it’s on you, whether as parents or students yourselves, to figure out how to juggle deadlines, manage school assignments, and make water polo tryouts, all at once. Think of EF as the “Internal CEO” of the brain. It’s the group of mental skills that includes working memory, flexible thinking, and self-control. 

At Mulholland Prep, EF skills aren’t just bonuses – they are actually the foundation of academic endurance and excellence. It’s the difference between cramming for a test (which we can definitely help with!) and building long term academic skills (that’s our bread and butter). 

We could go so far into why being nerdy and color-coded is actually the coolest way to be, but who are we kidding? All we know is that this stuff WORKS. So without further ado, here are our favorite Executive Functioning tips for students at any age. 

1. The Two-Minute Rule (All Ages)

If a task takes less than 120 seconds, do it immediately. No adding it to a list, no doing it later.

• The Evidence: Procrastination often stems from task initiation anxiety. Our brains perceive a long to-do list as a threat, triggering a fight-or-flight response. The Two-Minute Rule bypasses the brain’s alarm system by making the entry point too small to be scary.
• How to Implement: 
  • First things first, are you using a to do list? A planner? If your student is already jaded on planners, then this should actually help. 
  • Use this rule for administrative school tasks. Think, putting a signed permission slip in a folder, hole-punching a handout, or shooting a quick clarifying question to a teacher.
  • This leaves smaller tasks off the TO-DO list, which, when too long and scary, ultimately becomes the TO-DON’T list. 

2. Time Boxing (High School)

Instead of adding “Study History,” to the to-do list, you block out a specific time on your calendar. “Study History” becomes Tuesday, 4:00 PM – 4:45 PM: Outline Chapter 4. This is why it’s so effective to do a designated tutoring session. 

• The Evidence: The Zeigarnik Effect suggests that our brains hang onto unfinished tasks, creating mental clutter. By boxing a task into a specific time, you give your brain permission to stop worrying about it until that window opens, and you’re more effective in the window you gave yourself to do it. 
• How to Implement:
  • For high schoolers with heavy AP loads, we recommend adding a 15% buffer. If you think an essay will take two hours, book 2 hours and 20 minutes. This accounts for the inevitable “distraction tax” (checking a phone or grabbing a snack).
  • Use a digital calendar (Google/Outlook) or a paper hourly planner.

3. The Social Anchor (Middle & High School)

Working in the presence of another person, even if you aren’t collaborating, can help to increase focus. Note: this probably isn’t the best idea for younger students who are having play dates, since this can actually make it much harder to concentrate. Older students are a different story! 

• The Evidence: This is a strategy for ADHD and neurodivergent learners, but it works for everyone. The presence of another person acts as a social mirror, providing a gentle, non-judgmental accountability to stay on task. 
• How to Implement:
  • The Study Date: If you’re a high schooler, invite a friend over specifically for “Study Hour.” Set a timer for 50 minutes. No talking, just working. Or if your school has Study Hall, this might be easier than trying to focus on your own.
  • The Parent Version: If your middle schooler struggles to start homework, sit at the same table and do your own “homework” (bills, emails, reading). Don’t hover; just be there. Your productivity becomes their anchor.

4. The External Brain (Elementary & Early Middle School)

Move information out of the working memory and onto a physical or digital surface.

• The Evidence: Our working memory can only hold about 4–7 pieces of information at once. When a student tries to remember their homework, their gym shoes, their practice schedule, and their lunch, they run out of “RAM” for actual learning.
• How to Implement:
  • The Sunday Reset: Every Sunday at 6:00 PM, sit down for 15 minutes to “dump” everything into a planner.
  • Visual Cues: Use a big whiteboard at home. Seeing a deadline or reminder in 3-foot-wide writing is much harder for the brain to ignore than a notification buried on a phone.

Summing it up

At Mulholland Prep, we see brilliant students get derailed by avoidable mistakes, like missed due dates, forgotten calculators, or zoning out during long study sessions. By treating Executive Functioning as a trainable muscle rather than a personality trait, we empower students to take control of their own success.