College Planning Simplified
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College Planning Simplified
Why Smart Teens Procrastinate on College Applications (And What Parents Can Do)
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We talk with productivity coach Gigi Miller about why college admissions can trigger overwhelm, procrastination, and shutdown even for high-achieving teens. We share practical ways parents can support executive functioning and ADHD challenges while still keeping ownership with the student.
• Executive functioning as the brain’s management system for planning, organization, time management, focus, decisions, and follow-through
• Common signs of executive functioning struggle such as missed deadlines, procrastination, overwhelm, and difficulty starting
• Why the college application process strains executive functioning with too many moving parts over months
• Perfectionism, emotional regulation, and mental clutter as hidden drivers behind “overwhelmed”
• Difference between typical procrastination and executive functioning gaps in planning and prioritizing
• How ADHD shows up during admissions including time blindness, lost requirements, and inconsistent follow-through
• Misconceptions about productivity, motivation, willpower, and intelligence masking executive functioning needs
• Support strategies that work: smaller steps, external structure, calendars, and simple accountability
• Parent role shift to coach not project manager through weekly check-ins and better questions
• Signs of over-functioning and how to reduce tension by moving from reminders to conversations
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Welcome And Why June Matters
SPEAKER_02Feeling overwhelmed by college admissions? You're not alone. Welcome to College Planning Simplified. I'm your host, Stephanie D'Astusa with Advantage College Planning. Each month, I'll sit down with industry professionals and consultants to bring you expert insights from across the admissions landscape. Clear strategies, honest guidance, no unnecessary stress. Let's simplify this together. Hello, College Planning Simplified Community. This is Stephanie D'Souza. And on today's episode, I will be chatting with a productivity coach, Gigi Miller. I'm so excited to have you on today's podcast. Welcome, Gigi. Thank you.
SPEAKER_00I'm so excited to be here and to chat with you about all my favorite things.
SPEAKER_02Folks, it is such a timely episode because it is June, and that means we are entering into application season for my rising seniors. I know that most of our listeners are parents. And so I thought that today's episode with Gigi would be just a great opportunity to talk about Gigi's expertise in executive functioning organization, working with students who may show signs of ADHD, just how we can work with our teens to be the most productive they can be and stress-free. So I welcome Gigi. We are so delighted to have
What Executive Functioning Really Is
SPEAKER_02you. And my first question for you revolves around for parents who are hearing this term, executive functioning, for the first time, what exactly is executive functioning?
SPEAKER_00That is a great question. A lot of people hear that and they don't really understand what it is. So we try to break it down and make it as simple as possible. Executive functioning is the brain's management system. So these are the skills that help us plan, organize, manage our time, stay focused, make decisions, and follow through on tasks. So bottom line, executive functioning helps us turn those intentions that we make into action.
SPEAKER_02Thank you. In learning more about executive functioning, what are some everyday signs that a teen may struggle with executive functioning? What would they show? What would they present?
SPEAKER_00So I think the common ones for parents to you know notice would be procrastination, not meeting deadlines, forgetting to like turn in assignments, poor time management, just not being able to transition from one activity to another, feeling overwhelmed by some of these really large tasks. And the key to understand this is that they see that the students know what they need to do. It's just they struggle with the process of getting started and finishing them.
SPEAKER_02Gigi, in reading about your work experience, I know that you've really grounded yourself in helping
Common Signs Teens Are Struggling
SPEAKER_02others find organization for over 16 years. And you work from a strengths-based positive psychology approach. How does that approach change the way you support students and families?
SPEAKER_00Yes, I really believe in a strength-based approach in coaching because what I do is I help students identify what's already working and build from there. So instead of looking at, you know, this is going wrong or this isn't working for me, looking at the strengths first. So rather viewing executive functioning challenge, not looking at them as deficits, but we look at their strengths. And there's a number of ways we do this, but we look at their strengths, their interest, and their learning styles is a big one. How do they process incoming information? And this helps students not only build confidence, but it creates systems for them that work with their brain. And that's the key. Finding things that work with their brains.
Why Admissions Overloads The Brain
SPEAKER_02GG, we work with students as young as eighth grade through their culmination of senior year. And for my rising seniors, I said that we are approaching, we're actually in application season. And applications have many different parts. They require essays, they require college list making, thinking about the majors that they're interested in, visiting schools, interviews, you know, projects, all while keeping up their grades and taking those standardized tests. It sounds like a lot. I know it's a lot. We say it's a lot, and it's a challenge at time. But coming from an executive functioning coaching lens, what is it that you think that this process, why does it create so many challenges for students?
SPEAKER_00I think you said it. There's a lot of moving parts. And the application process requires students to use many of these executive functioning skills we talked about earlier, and they have to use them all at once. So they're managing deadlines, you know, writing the essay. They may have to request, you know, accommodations, gather documents, make so many decisions, and stay organized over several months or even, you know, years. And at the same time, they're balancing school and after-school activities and maybe jobs and their social lives. And it's not just one task, as you said. It's this long list of tasks that require planning and follow through. And if you don't have strong executive functioning skills, this is where the challenges start to happen.
SPEAKER_02Gigi, when I'm working with students and getting to know them, I'm constantly assessing a student's willingness and their ability. Sometimes we can have both, but most times we will have one or the other. And I have to say, it is sometimes frustrating when I see these really high-achievents and they're suddenly procrastinating and they're suddenly, as they would say, ghosting me, right? Um they're not following through, and it's affecting the application process. But I know that the ability and their scholastic ability is there. Why do you think even high-achieving students procrastinate on these applications
Perfectionism And The Overwhelm Spiral
SPEAKER_02and essays?
SPEAKER_00That is a great point. I mean, parents are often really surprised when their high-achiev, you know, kids procrastinate and they've seen it, see it for the first time. But procrastination isn't always a motivation problem. A lot of times, students care so much that they become overwhelmed. So then this perfectionism comes in, and they may write worry about, I have to write the perfect essay, I have to choose the right school, am I gonna make a mistake? And the college essays are especially challenging because there isn't one right answer. Students are being asked to tell their story, and that can feel really intimidating and overwhelming for them.
SPEAKER_02What do you think is happening behind the scenes when a student says they're overwhelmed? I hear that all the time. I'm feeling overwhelmed, Stephanie. There's tears sometimes process, or sometimes they simply shut down. From your experience, what do you think is happening behind the scenes that we should be aware of?
SPEAKER_00So I think when students say they're overwhelmed, their brains are often trying to manage too many decisions, too many tasks. And then the emotional regulation comes in, and there's just too much stuff on their mind. I call it mental clutter. And they may be thinking about deadlines, grades, college choices, finances. A big one is family expectations, all of this at the same time. And at one point, everything feels urgent, right? They have all these decisions they have to make. So they don't know where to start. And I think that's that overwhelming feeling is where do I start? So what parents often see as maybe avoidance is frequently just a student who's stuck and they don't know where to start.
Procrastination Vs Executive Functioning Gaps
SPEAKER_02So, what do you think is the difference between normal teen procrastination and a true executive functioning struggle?
SPEAKER_00Great question. Most teens procrastinate occasionally. Most of all of us do, right? There's always something. But they may not want to do something, but they can usually get it done when the deadline approaches. The students with executive functioning challenges often want to get started, but they don't know how. They struggle with that planning piece. How to break down the tasks into manageable steps. How do I prioritize? What needs to get done first? How do I organize all this information? And then the follow-through piece, that's really challenging to be consistently following through on things. And I think a simple way to think about this is a procrastinating team says, I don't want to do it right now. A team with executive functioning challenges may say, I want to do it, but I don't know where to start. And I think that's the big difference.
SPEAKER_02Thank you for clarifying
How ADHD Shows Up In Admissions
SPEAKER_02that. Every year during my intake process, I learn if a student has been diagnosed with ADHD. And I have a few neurodivergent students who I'm working with this year, and I know my colleagues do as well. In terms of working with students part of this community, how does the college admissions process um, how does ADHD commonly show up during this process?
SPEAKER_00Yeah, I mean, the college admissions process places heavy demands on planning and organization and time management. And these are all areas that can be really challenging for students with ADHD because a lot of times they have very weak executive functioning skills. And parents may see students struggle to get started, as we talked about before. Another thing is they underestimate how long tasks will take. It's called, you know, time blindness. They forget deadlines, they lose track of application requirements, and they just become so overwhelmed by the number of moving pieces. And that's where I think the ADHD shows up is how do I organize all these moving pieces? And what's important to understand is that many students with ADHD know exactly what needs to be done. Again, the challenge is often turning that knowledge or turning those, you know, to-do tasks into action. That's the piece that follow-through Pete is often really challenging for anyone with ADHD.
Productivity Myths Parents Still Believe
SPEAKER_02What are some of the misconceptions parents of um children with ADHD have about productivity?
SPEAKER_00Okay, this I think this one's really important. One of the biggest misconceptions is that productivity is simply about motivation or willpower. And parents sometimes think, if my child really cared, they would just do it. And many students with ADHD care deeply about their goals. The problem is a lack of desire. It's difficulty with the executive functioning skills needed to plan, prioritize, initiate tasks, and stay organized. And I think another one is that intelligence compensates for executive functioning challenges. There are a lot of really bright students that can succeed academically for years, but the college application process requires a level of like self-management. And so what they were masking and able to mask for many years, that sort of comes out during this process because they're struggling. And it's har it's hard to hide those, those struggle.
Simple Supports That Create Momentum
SPEAKER_02What support strategies tend to work best for neurodivergent students during a season like this where they're managing applications?
SPEAKER_00I think the most effective supports are just ones that are simple and practical. You know, students benefit from breaking large tasks into smaller ones. That's a huge thing with planning, is that it just seems so overwhelming, but breaking it up into manageable steps, that's a great start. And instead of working on college applications, the task becomes let's, you know, brainstorm essay topics or email one teacher for a recommendation. Doing, you know, one thing at a time. External structure can also be helpful. I'm a huge believer in you know, to-do lists and calendars. Accountability is a big piece, whether it's with a coach, a parent, a friend, having some sort of accountability is really important. Regular check-in that kind of reduces that mental load and helps students stay on track if someone's checking in with them. And you know, most importantly, the support should be something that works for it's individualized. What works for one student may not work for another. One kid might require more accountability than the other. And the goal is to help students kind of you know discover the system that fits their needs, you know, what their strengths and learning style. If they're really good writers, then great, use that, use that strength, right? Or if they're visual, get a calendar, put it on the wall, like be really visual with your planning. So identifying their strengths, the learning style, and working with those.
SPEAKER_02Thank you. Families come to us not only for the information that we have about the various schools out there and coaching their students on finding the best fit, but they also come to us because they just do not want to be the ones telling their students to complete a task or write the essay. You know, we take, we take that on. We we guide them through the process. But I do see parents who know that their student struggles with executive functioning skills or has been diagnosed with ADHD. They know and they want to be more involved because they're they're nervous, they're scared of what might come if their child becomes overwhelmed. How can these parents provide structure without becoming the manager of the entire process?
Be The Coach Not The Manager
SPEAKER_00Yeah, I mean, they they do play an important role in this, and whether they hire somebody, you know, to do work with their child or not. So I always tell parents, think of yourself as a coach, not a project manager. So what does a coach do? A coach provides support, encouragement, and accountability while keeping ownership of the student, not taking over the process, letting the student figure things out. And, you know, instead of reminding them about every deadline and asking questions that help them build aware better than asking them about every deadline, it's important to ask questions that help them build awareness. That's a huge thing in coaching, is building awareness for the client. So some examples would be what's your next step? instead of saying, have you completed this thing that's due tomorrow? What's your plan for keeping track of deadlines? Again, it's the way you approach this. How will you know you're making progress? Checking in with the client, you know, your student. Like, how are we gonna measure the progress? And then, you know, what support would be most helpful right now? A child might say, Yeah, that's great. Can you check in with me tomorrow? That would be really good support right now. So parents can help create structure by setting up these regular check-ins and asking these questions. You know, the goal isn't to get your team through the application process. The goal is to help them really develop these skills because when they get to college, they're gonna be really important, not only to navigate college, but adulthood, and they're gonna have greater confidence and independence from all the learning they're gonna get from this process.
SPEAKER_02I love that, Gigi. And that's the way that I approach my counseling is this this is a practice session, but we have not arrived once once you've decided where you will attend school. That is not the culmination, it doesn't stop there. We are practicing for your next chapter when you may not be under the roof with um such structure, with um your parental unit. So I think that's extremely important. And I always tell parents that they're they're the cheerleaders. Um I call myself the coach, but I like what you said. I really am the project manager in this process. And I love that idea of the parents, especially of students who struggle with executive functioning, to be the coach and partner with me behind the scenes of doing regular check-ins on what's working, what's not, but they shouldn't be the ones nagging them. Let that let that be. Um, yeah, they should be coaching, supporting, just pat on the back, just loving on them to make sure that this is as productive as
Build A Calendar System Early
SPEAKER_02possible. Can you think of any systems or routines for parents, um, maybe even young parents of younger children, knowing that this is coming up, what they should have set in place before application season?
SPEAKER_00Yeah, I mean, there's so much information coming in, whether it's through mail or email or text, there's just so much information coming at you. So I recommend having like one central place to track like deadlines, application requirements, essay progress. And that's probably a lot of what you know y'all do for your clients. So whether that's a calendar, a spreadsheet, a planner, you know, it's it's less about having a system for them. It's about having a system everyone understands and can use consistently. It's also helpful, really helpful to establish these regular weekly check-ins, just checking in, you know, and checking in before the process becomes stressful, like not just checking in when something's going wrong, but to check in weekly and just talk about what's going on. It could be 15 minutes, you know, it doesn't take long to do the check-in. And this helps students stay aware of upcoming tasks. It's helped the parents stay aware of what's going on and just kind of avoids that last minute stress of, oh my gosh, I this is like due tomorrow. So I think these systems, just the calendar and the spreadsheet, having a place where everything goes is really important.
SPEAKER_02I like that idea of a weekly check-in almost as a business meeting. It's on the count. Student knows that it's coming up, they come prepared. And I like the idea for families in general to just choose one time, one day a week where they talk about college. Because this upcoming year for my rising seniors is one of it's it's stressful. And they're hearing it from their peers, they're hearing it, you know, on the holidays, from aunts, uncles, cousins, and on, and they're just flooded and they're flooded and maybe feeling insecure. And so if we can just take one day a week where it's allowed, and then the other day, we're just not going to talk about it unless the student brings it up, knowing of what's expected of them to bring to the table to talk about deadlines, how they feel like they're showing up. I that's I think the best way of coaching is just asking questions. How do you feel? Um and they know, like you said, they know they know.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, it is. It's coaching is about asking questions, it's not about giving them answers or the answers they're looking for or telling them how they should be doing something, right? So it's letting, you know, we say NCRW in coaching, it's holding the client as naturally creative, resourceful, and they have the answers. The client is the expert on themselves. And I think that even goes for teens, they know themselves, and I The constant checking in and asking questions becomes mental clutter. So these regular weekly check-ins also, you know, they it's kind of an accountability as well, is knowing that we're going to check in so we can talk about things.
SPEAKER_02I love that. I I like doing that with my own children. If something's not working and they're missing their goals, and I just say clearly, it what you're doing right now is not working. So I feel like you might need to pivot. And they agree. So, what are some things that you think you could do differently? And it's interesting to hear what they come up with. Sometimes something that I haven't thought of, but they do have the answers. And when it comes from them, they're more likely to follow through on it.
SPEAKER_00Absolutely. It's about how can we look at this differently? What can we try this week that's different? And let's see what happens. And it's an experiment. We'll talk about it. That is a huge part of coaching, just having a different perspective on something and seeing that maybe there's not just one way to do it. Maybe there's multiple ways, and you find a way that works better for you.
Healthy Accountability Without Hovering
SPEAKER_02I heard you mention accountability earlier. What does healthy accountability look like for teens?
SPEAKER_00I think it's, you know, healthy accountability supports independence. Right. So again, it's, you know, rather than creating this dependence on you as the parent, how can I support independence? So instead of constantly reminding students of what they need to do, when do they need to do it by, encourage them to develop their own systems for tracking responsibility? So kind of going back to those questions. So what are some questions parents can ask? What's your plan for this week? What deadline is coming up next? How will you make time for that? You know, having them actually think if it's realistic. And is there anything you're stuck on that, you know, I can help you with? You know, the goal is to help students think through the process rather than doing the thinking for them, which parents want to help. And they're just looking at all the different ways they can help their students. But sometimes, again, you have to let them figure it out. Which brings me to my next question.
SPEAKER_02What are some signs that a parent may be overfunctioning for their student?
SPEAKER_00Yeah, that was a good one. I think you know, one of the best ways to reduce the conflict or tension is to move from reminders to conversations. So when parents repeatedly ask, did you finish your essay? And how many times are you are they gonna ask that right? Or have you submitted the application? What happens is they become defensive, you know, and then the frustration builds up. So, you know, we talked about the check-in. So that a regular check-in time and focus on problem solving rather than hovering and monitoring what's going on. So if your student's struggling, try asking what's feeling most challenging right now? You know, what again, what's your next step? How can I support you? So these questions invite this like collaboration of working with them, but not against them.
SPEAKER_02I love that. I remember, you know, listening to all the parenting podcasts when they were little. The worst question you can ask was, How is how is your day? And it's absolutely so inviting these deeper discussions on where you can best show up there, encouraging them to reflect while the parent is also reflecting on how they're you know, this application season really brings up a lot for everyone and some ugly stuff for parents, right? Where am I operating from? Am I operating from a place of ego? Is this for? Is this for, you know, it's for my child? Is it suddenly becoming about me? So really trying to see your child as an individual who's preparing themselves and sharpening their executive functioning skills for their next chapter.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, that's really we talk about it in coaching as managing the expert. So really, you know, practicing silence and practicing like letting them figure it out, not just throwing in your expertise, whether you have it or not, right? That's not the point. But, or do it in a different way, in a conversational way. But you know, not coming at them as I'm the expert, I know everything, letting them figure it out. You could be there as a you know to co-create that with that, with them and be their partner in it, but not the one giving the advice.
Skill Based Struggles And Real Hope
SPEAKER_02My wish as a as a college consultant is that parents can approach this from a lens of encouragement and perspective. What do you wish more parents understood about students who struggle with executive functioning?
SPEAKER_00Yeah, I mean, sometimes it's really frustrating when I hear parents, you know, say things like, I just, you know, I don't understand. What are they just being lazy? Do they just not care? And that's not what's going on. So most students who struggle, you know, they're trying very hard. I mean, they're trying a lot harder, you know. A people with ADHD students have to try so much harder than others. So, you know, they often feel frustrated with themselves because the student knows what they need to do. But again, these executive functionings, they're weak. So how to organize, how to initiate, how to follow through, that's not, you know, laziness or lack of caring. You know, these challenges are skill-based, not character-based. I say this a lot. And like any skill, they can be developed with the right support and practice and systems over time. So it doesn't mean they can't strengthen these, you know, these challenges. So it's just really important to maybe shift that perspective on your student of they do care. They're trying really hard. They just need a different kind of support and different kinds of systems to help support them.
SPEAKER_02And I can imagine you probably coach having tiny celebrations along the way. And ultimately the, you know, the end goal of completing this process, but our little wins to keep that confidence. What gives you hope when you work with overwhelmed students, even adults who are challenged by executive functioning?
SPEAKER_00Yeah, I mean, I love seeing, you know, what gives me hope is seeing how quickly change can happen. And again, little, little changes. Like the little changes are going to happen. Not this huge, like, I'm totally organized and I know how to plan. But um, when I see these little chat, these changes that make a difference. And when the students give them the right support, they can happen. And so, you know, often the shift isn't about working harder, right? It's about working differently, working for how my brain works. And when students learn how to do things like break down tasks so they're not completely overwhelmed, how to create structure because their their brain really wants structure and just taking it one step at a time, not feeling like everything has to be perfect tomorrow. Um, I also see a lot of growth in families when parents move from being the manager to coaching and being their partner in this. And that shift can reduce tension at home, it could create more space. That's what you want to do, right? Is build this trust, communication, and independence, which they're going to need when they go off to college. And even in high pressure seasons like the college application time, and students can still learn these skills. So, you know, the impact goes far beyond applications, like we talked about. It carries into college, into careers, into adulthood. Like we said, this is practice. We're learning new skill sets that we could take with us in college and in life.
SPEAKER_02I love that. Thank you so much. I'm so glad that we are um ending our conversation on a high note, encouraging parents to be their child's um partner through this process and allowing their student to feel seen so that they're not looking for um, you know, affirmation and pleasing them, but really to understand the way that they learn and the way that they can carry out their responsibilities.
Rapid Fire Tips Teens Can Use
SPEAKER_02Uh, Gigi, if you don't mind, I have a series of questions. Um, I'm gonna ask you kind of rapid fire that pretty practical. Um parents um listening or want to walk away with little nuggets um to remember moving forward. So, what is the most underrated executive functioning skill?
SPEAKER_00I think it's starting. It's not planning or organizing as most people think. It's really just getting started, getting over that hump and starting.
SPEAKER_02Best way to motivate a procrastinating teen.
SPEAKER_00I think it's important to reduce the overwhelm first. Again, having that conversation, what's going on, what's challenging right now, and then focus on one small, clear next step. Decide together what's that small step I'm gonna take. Because as soon as they create that first step, that overwhelm starts to fade.
SPEAKER_02Biggest mistake parents make during application season.
SPEAKER_00Taking over the process, you know, again, being the micromanager and asking so many questions and really just taking over the process instead of coaching, instead of being their partner in this and just being supportive.
SPEAKER_02One thing parents should stop saying immediately.
SPEAKER_00So many things. Let's see. Um, probably have you finished your application yet? That's just a huge question. How are you supposed to answer that? You know? Yeah.
SPEAKER_02Yeah. Best first step for an overwhelmed student.
SPEAKER_00I think it kind of goes back to breaking things down. So just pick one task and make it small and make it small enough until it feels doable. I always say, is this stuff doable? And it could just be as simple as creating a list of, you know, their colleges they want to attend, things they want to study. Just pick one thing and do that.
SPEAKER_02I love giving my students, especially those who I know uh struggle with executive functioning in ADHD, giving them options. There are some students where I can say, I want this, this is due in two days, and you're gonna have it. And for my other ones, this is our goal date. Is that reasonable for you? Let's talk about what you have coming up, because so many of them also don't understand maybe the time that's needed. And they or they mistake their ability to finish something. So just talking through, okay, well, that looks like this. Let's think about what's on your plate here, and then having them talk it out loud, they're like, okay, this is this is probably more feasible. They want to please, they want to please my parents, they want to please me, but really having them approach it in a realistic owning, owning the process kind of way.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, I mean, time blindness is something anyone with ADHD has challenges with. So being really realistic about how much time something's gonna take, and then add on another 30 minutes. That's how I like to kind of when I'm working with students, like, how long do you think this is gonna take? And then let's add on a buffer and learning from that and going back and looking at it, going, Oh, yeah, this did take me about an hour and a half. So now I know for the next time I plan for something, I give myself more time.
SPEAKER_02My students are the ones who tell me, I will have it done tomorrow. I I swear to you, Miss Stephanie, it's happening. They tell me up and down, and you know it's not gonna happen, but they're convinced that it will. And then when it doesn't, that shame creeps in because wanted to. And then that's when the ghosting happens, right? That's when they become overwhelmed, they don't show up because they feel like they failed. Um so not putting them in a situation where that's gonna happen. Okay, what map or tool you love?
SPEAKER_00Yeah, it's really simple. I think without a calendar, it's impossible to do any of this. And that, you know, the calendar helps you organize, it helps you manage your time. I mean, it helps you plan ahead. So just a simple calendar, whether it's paper, electronic, whatever it is, put everything on that calendar. That calendar gives you a true, like, this is really what my day or what my week looks like. Put in all the activities because again, it goes back to that time blindness of, oh yeah, I can spend two hours on my essay on Thursday when maybe they forgot to put in something, you know, after school that was happening. So a calendar is key.
SPEAKER_02What is the most misunderstood thing about ADHD?
SPEAKER_00I think you know, what I hear most is why is my kid not motivate? So it's not a motivation problem. You know, it's more about consistency and regulation. So it's not this, I don't want to do this because it's not important to me. It's just about how do I do it? So that's a misconception, is that it's a motivation problem.
SPEAKER_02What is one habit every future college student should build now?
SPEAKER_00Every future college student, every person should weekly planning. Planning is key. You've got your calendar, and then you start practicing planning, that is going to help you. That it's gonna help you look ahead. It's gonna help you map out your priorities, it's gonna give you a good time on, you know, a good, a good picture of what time is available. I think that weekly planning and spending time doing it is going to save you time later. So once a week, just sit down and plan out your, you know, the week ahead.
SPEAKER_02My weekly planning day is Sunday. And I think it's also a good chance for me to look back. I not only plan but reflect on where did I miss the mark? When did I not finish this week and why?
SPEAKER_00Yeah, it's information. You're it's information that you can look at as reference, right? It's like what worked, what didn't work, and how can I make it better next week?
SPEAKER_02Uh I don't want this question. This is our final question. I don't want to feel overwhelming, but if you had a go-to productivity tip, can you deliver that in about a sentence?
SPEAKER_00Yes. And I think the background to this is it's not a motivation problem. It's getting started. So I would say ask yourself or you know, have your, you know, child ask himself, what is the next smallest step I can take right now? And that helps with overwhelm. It helps with getting started, it helps with planning. I think just thinking about it that way again. Like, what next smallest step can I take right now? It's gonna help me move forward.
Where To Find Gigi And Closing
SPEAKER_02Thank you, Gigi. This conversation was illuminating, both as a professional and as a parent with teens. So I really enjoyed my time with you. Listeners, Gigi has a company called The Organized Life. Where can listeners um find out more if they're interested?
SPEAKER_00Yeah, um, they can go to my website. It's www.the-organized life.com. And I am happy to, you know, talk to anyone that wants to learn more. It's you know, I think a good takeaway is that like parents don't have to do everything, right? They can bring in experts to help. They just can be the supportive coach for that. You know, it's a tough journey. So sometimes it takes a village, right?
SPEAKER_02And this conversation was not just for students who have been diagnosed with you know ADHD. Um, it's for all students who may not have even showed signs of challenges with executive functioning, knowing that we're approaching a really stressful time period with lots of moving pieces. So I really appreciate all of the suggestions that you brought forth. I think they were practical. And hopefully, parents who are listening, you can tuck these away as we move through these upcoming months. It's been a pleasure, and I hope you have a great day. Thanks so much. Thanks for listening to the College Planet Simplified Podcast. If today's episode resonated with you, please subscribe, leave a review, and share this podcast with someone who needs study guidance right now. I'll see you next time.