7 AI Prompts to Improve Adult Executive Function Skills
- Eric Kaufmann
- Feb 6
- 5 min read
Updated: Feb 6
TL;DR: Many neurodivergent adults are working hard but still feel stuck, overwhelmed, and behind. This article explains how AI can be used as a practical executive function support to reduce decision fatigue, break tasks into startable steps, and interrupt the shame spiral around procrastination.
If your systems keep failing you, this shows a different way forward.
Table of Contents
Hi Friend,
I’m conflicted about AI.
Part of me loves it. A few weeks ago, I shared my favorite AI tool for beating procrastination. I use it every single week.
Grammarly proofreads my emails and newsletters.
Google AI search answers my random questions about the history of Japanese snowboard builders.
ChatGPT creates the cover art for my blog posts.
And yet, I don’t want to rely on AI to think for me. I want to solve complex problems on my own. I want to write well-crafted sentences that make you pause. I don’t want AI doing all the work.
At the same time, AI might be the most powerful support tool the neurodivergent community has ever had.
We can delegate research.
Meal planning.
Travel lists.
And, maybe most importantly, we can offload some executive function skills.
When used intentionally, AI can reduce cognitive load, ease decision fatigue, and help us get unstuck. This is especially true for neurodivergent adults with ADHD or autism, whose executive function skills are already working overtime.
Today, I’m sharing my top seven AI prompts that help offload executive function, so you have more capacity for what’s most important. I’ll also show you how to write better prompts of your own.
Let’s dive in.
What Happens if I Don't Use AI?
At first, nothing noteworthy changes.
You keep spinning your wheels.
You keep feeling overwhelmed.
You keep procrastinating on the same task that you genuinely care about.
You keep setting goals with good intentions. You feel motivated for a few days! And then something shifts, and you give up. Again.
Then the executive function shame spiral kicks in.
"Why do I always do this?"
"Why can't I just be disciplined?"
"Why is it so easy for everyone else?"
And quietly, you begin to fall behind.
Not because you're less capable. Not because you aren't smart or driven. Because others are learning how to offload planning, organization, decision-making, and task initiation to tools that reduce cognitive load.
AI isn't here to replace your brain. It's here to make getting started easier.
And when starting gets easier, momentum builds. Goals are accomplished. Your confidence improves. Your sense of self grows.
How AI Can Support Executive Function Skills
When used well, AI (like ChatGPT) can act like an external executive function support. But most people don’t get helpful results from AI because they under-prompt it.
They forget to explain who they are. If AI doesn’t know enough about you, you’re going to get generic, neurotypical advice. That’s the last thing we need.
They aren’t specific about the problem they’re trying to solve. Without proper context, the solutions and ideas AI shares aren’t going to align with your life.
They don’t include constraints. You’ve tried a bunch of solutions in the past. Let AI know so that it doesn’t provide ideas that won’t work.
They don’t explain the output they want. Bullet points? Number list? Paragraph form? Let it know what you want.
When used well, AI can:
Break tasks into concrete steps
Estimate time so tasks feel bounded instead of endless
Sort to-do lists by urgency, energy, or consequence
Ask clarifying questions before telling you what to do (similar to an executive function coach)
This is about offloading executive function skills so that you can gain clarity and take action. AI isn’t doing the thinking for you; it’s helping you ideate and problem-solve at a higher level.
AI Prompts to Improve Executive Function
Instead of writing the longest newsletter of my career, I created a free guide with the exact prompts I’ve used, tested, and shared with my adult executive function coaching clients.
Below are my two favorites. You can download the rest here.
Task Initiation Support
You are an executive function coach who specializes in ADHD and task initiation.
Help me break down the project: {insert project title}.
Requirements:
Break the project into clear, logical steps
Estimate how long each step will take
Make the first three steps so small and simple that it would feel silly not to do them
Constraints:
Avoid vague steps like “plan” or “research”
Assume I get overwhelmed easily
Keep the total number of steps reasonable
Output format:
Step-by-step list with time estimates
Organization Without Overwhelm
You are an expert in organizational psychology with a deep understanding of ADHD and executive dysfunction.
Act as my organizational coach and help me create a realistic strategy and simple daily routine to get and keep my home tidy.
Important context:
I get overwhelmed by too many systems
Perfectionism makes it hard to start
I need routines that work even on low-energy days
Constraints:
Do not suggest complex systems
Focus on maintenance, not perfection
Assume I have limited time and energy
Output format:
One guiding principle
A simple daily reset routine (10–15 minutes max)
You can download all of the AI prompts to improve your executive function skills for free here.
Summary
When used intentionally, AI doesn’t replace your thinking.
Neurodivergent adults can use AI to offload executive function demands like planning, prioritizing, task initiation, and decision-making. For adults with ADHD or who are autistic, this can mean less overwhelm, less paralysis, and more follow-through.
However, getting results that actually help from AI is tricky. That's why I created, tested, and refined prompts for my adult executive function coaching clients, and now you can use them too.
You can use this link to download them for free.
I hope this helps.
In service,
Eric
FAQs
Can AI really help improve executive function skills?
Yes. AI can act as a delegation and offloading tool for executive function skills that are often hardest for neurodivergent adults, especially task initiation, planning, prioritizing, and organization. When you prompt AI correctly, it can reduce decision-making, break overwhelming tasks into manageable steps, and help regulate the emotional friction that causes procrastination. AI doesn’t replace thinking or effort. It lowers cognitive load so you can focus on what actually matters.
Will using AI make me more dependent or worse at thinking for myself?
When used intentionally, AI does not replace your ability to think or solve problems. It supports the parts of executive function that are already overloaded. Many neurodivergent adults are already working extremely hard just to get started, stay organized, and follow through. AI simply helps offload research, planning, and step breakdowns so you are not doing everything in your head. The goal is not perfection or automation. The goal is to make starting easier and reducing the shame spiral that comes from feeling stuck.
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About the Author
Eric Kaufmann is an Educational Therapist, Certified Executive Function Coach, and speaker. He is the Co-founder of UpSkill Specialists, an executive function coaching company that helps adults and workplace teams overcome disorganization, procrastination, and productivity roadblocks.
Want to learn more about 1:1 coaching? Click here.
Interested in hosting a workshop for your team or company on how to improve executive function skills in the workplace? Click here.
Looking for guidance on how to become an adult executive function coach? Click here.
P.S. Free Mini Course: Break the Procrastination Cycle
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