Usually when a task is familiar, we just jump right in and get started without much thought. How about a new task? Imagine you are going on a trip to a country you have never been. Think about how much planning usually goes into this kind of trip, from where to stay, what to pack, how to get there, what to do while you are there, and on and on. Having a Foresight in a Task can help with planning and problem solving.
You may already have a strategy for doing new tasks, or maybe you are the type that just says you will figure it out as you go along.
Today’s free printable is Foresight in a Task. This worksheet will help you create a framework of ideas to get you started on a task. Enter your email below and this useful PDF will magically appear in your inbox. This item, along with others related to executive functioning skills can also be found in The OT Toolbox Membership.
FORESIGHT IN A TASK
What is foresight? Foresight is the ability to predict future actions, and the act of planning ahead because of forward thinking. Difficulty with foresight is a hallmark of those with executive function disorder.
There is probably research on the success rate of planners versus fly by the seat of your pants people, as there are benefits to both. Perhaps the end product is the same, however, being a planner myself, I can minimize stress and unknowns with a little foresight in a task. When reading the benefits below, think of a large task you need to plan for such as a trip overseas.
Here are some benefits to planning and having foresight in a task:
- Efficiency – planning ahead can limit unnecessary stops in the middle for things you might have forgotten (when we travel it is often hard to find things we have forgotten at home).
- Minimize stress – having to rethink plans and change directions in the middle of a task can be overwhelming. If you struggle with decision making, having foresight in a task can limit the unexpected decisions and changes you make on the fly (when travelling, there are a ton of variables that go into the trip. Having to keep making decisions and new plans in the middle adds stress).
- Group effort – thinking through the steps or parts of a task can allow you to delegate steps up front, as you have a good idea what is involved before you get started (for a trip, planning ahead lets me know how much help I might need ahead of time)
- Time management – Planning can give you an idea of how long a task or event will take. Leaving enough time for a task is important when you have timelines involved (when planning for our trip I must be mindful of time management, so we have time to see everything on our list).
- Limit waste – waste can come in many forms. Money, time, effort, supplies, and redoing what was done incorrectly can all be different types of waste from not having foresight in a task.
HOW TO USE THE PRINTABLE FORESIGHT IN A TASK WORKSHEET
Now that you have downloaded the free printable worksheet, there are many ways to use it. The task above, our trip to Italy has a lot of working pieces. Our spreadsheets, lists, and charts have been extensive. Hopefully all this upfront work will lead to a smooth and enjoyable trip with few bumps.
Not all tasks need to be this big to benefit from this foresight in a task PDF. Think of it like writing a novel. The title of the task goes at the top (a dinner party). Underneath the title you can either write down everything you can think of that you need to do for a dinner party, or break it down into chapters like a novel. Your dinner party plan might have a list of 25 different items, or be broken down into categories for further planning.
If you choose to break your task down into “chapters” or categories, you might want to have one of these “foresight in a task” worksheets for each category. You might have one for food, guests, chores, shopping list, and a schedule. At this point you can make a list of everything that goes into each category.
This will help save time and money as you head to the store with your prewritten lists. You will be more efficient when getting everything done on time for the party. You will need to have good time management to make sure the food gets finished on time and you serve it in a certain order.
Your task can be much smaller, like cleaning the bathrooms or raking the leaves. No matter the size of the job ahead, it will be easier and worth the effort ahead of time to plan ahead.
HOW TO ADAPT AND MODIFY THE FORESIGHT IN A TASK WORKSHEET
Not everyone learns or processes the same. Therefore, it is a great idea to be able to adapt and modify this worksheet to meet the needs of your specific learner.
- Some levels of learners will need more help than others
- Provide the broken-down categories up front for your learner
- Have a cheat sheet for all the items to think through. This is especially helpful to new or younger learners. They might not think about the time, money, supplies, and sequence of a task.
- Show younger learners how to make their task worksheet in chronological order to make it easier to follow.
- Create an example to model of a task worksheet
- Lower-level learners may need to dictate what is on the list, have pictures/icons, or simple buzzwords. Check out this how-to activity to learn to sequence daily activities.
- These task completion cards are great for working through a task to the end
- Once you have created a great flow sheet, think about laminating it or putting into plastic sleeves. You can make a great binder with all the tasks and chores that need to be done.
- Laminate the page first – this may be helpful if you do not plan on keeping your flowsheet. Use dry erase markers and wipe the page after using it.
- Check out the Executive function and chore handout for ideas on the skills required to complete a task and ways to mindfully incorporate them.
- Enlarge the page for easier viewing or filling out.
- Create more than one draft. Maybe the first draft just has a list of everything you need to get done. The second draft can have the items in sequential order like a check list.
OTHER TOOLS YOU CAN USE WITH THIS FORESIGHT IN A TASK FREEBIE
Executive function plays a big part in planning a task. It is a higher level of thinking and can be tricky to teach or navigate. Having several resources on hand can be a nice way to teach this lesson.
- Drawing Mind Maps – Drawing a mind map is such a fun way to put goals down onto paper and accomplishing them. All of this can be done through drawing, doodling, and sketching a drawing mind map!
- The Power of Yet – The power of yet starts with a growth mindset. A growth mindset is “the understanding that abilities and understanding can be developed” (Mindset Works, n.d.)
- Breaking Down Goals – Making and keeping goals is hard, but breaking down goals into bite sized, smaller steps can be key to achieving a larger objective.
- Are you having difficulty getting started? Try these Task Initiation Strategies
- Goal Ladder worksheet – this is another great resource to use when learning foresight in a task.
final musings on the topic of practicing foresight in a task
I am glad I am a planner, especially when it comes to big tasks like this overseas trip. There will inevitably be things that go wrong along the way, or unforeseen mishaps, but hopefully by planning we can limit the amount of them. I can tell you from personal experience that the words “we will figure it out when we get there” almost makes me break out in hives. As this is a therapy related page, you are likely to be related to, or working with people who need to learn to plan ahead and problem solve. You may be working with teens who need to get organized. The people I work with do not adapt well to sudden change, cannot make quick decisions, and easily shut down when presented with too many obstacles.
Teach them the technique of having foresight in a task to minimize some stress and emotional dysregulation along the way. Throw in a bit of mental flexibility for good measure!
You may be wondering how to teach foresight. Or, maybe you are wondering what foresight is and how it impacts functioning and executive functioning skills. Here, we’ll cover how to teach foresight and other important executive functioning skills through play.
What is Foresight
Foresight is the ability to predict future actions and the act of planning ahead as a result of forward thinking. Difficulty with foresight is a hallmark of those with executive function disorder, but it’s also an executive functioning skill that kids develop over time. Teaching foresight to kids can be easy with a few games and activities, and it can make a difference in strengthening this and other executive function skills.
Helping kids to develop foresight can be a means for teaching consequences. we all have to make decisions with either good or bad results. Having foresight can help us predict and make a better choice!
When a child learns to think using foresight, he or she will be able to more independent in tasks such as schoolwork, self-care, and safety in all situations.
How to Teach Foresight
We’ve explained that foresight is an executive function skill. In fact, the ability to look ahead and use the skill to plan out a task or to accommodate for situations that may occur is an executive functioning skill that works so closely with other EF skills.
Foresight is connected to other executive functioning skills such as planning and prioritization, impulse control, working memory, and attention for example.
Here are strategies to help the adult with executive function disorder. Many of these tips and strategies are great for teens as well.
Foresight in kids looks like:
- Matching clothing to the weather when getting dressed
- Thinking to bring an umbrella on a day that seems cloudy and grey
- Having all materials needed for the classroom
- Clearing the dinner table without being asked
- Remembering to feed a family pet because he or she is always hungry at the same time each day…and alerting a parent when the pet food is almost gone
- Looking both ways before crossing the street
You can see that foresight is a skill used in everyday tasks, all day long!
It’s important to recognize that foresight in kids is not a given. In the toddler years and preschool years, children have little foresight. They are very scattered in their thoughts and often do not think ahead or think of others. Toward the end of the preschool years and in early elementary years, foresight begins to develop.
Development of Foresight
Development of foresight continues to grow and strengthen but only through practice and repetition. In those with executive function disorder AND every typically developing child, practice and repetition of foresight is necessary.
Below are activities and games to improve foresight and thinking ahead. Use these games and activities with those with executive function disorder and any child with whom would benefit from practicing foresight.
Activities to Teach Foresight
Amazon affiliate links are included in the list below.
- Encourage self-talk. Kids can talk themselves through a difficult or complex task.
- Teach kids to make lists.
- Talk about what to take on a trip to the beach versus a trip to the mountains.
- Play imagination games.
- Talk about how to plan for emergencies.
- Write down what happened at the end of the day. Note strategies or coping skills that worked and what didn’t work. (The Impulse Control Journal can help with this journaling on a daily basis.)
- Discuss logical thinking in events or tasks- When you’re pretend games, encourage the child to ask themselves, “If I do this, then my we will do that.”
- Talk about budgeting and saving money for things they would like to purchase.
- Play Mastermind– This game encourages thinking ahead to solve a code. There are only so many chances to guess the answer, and choosing pieces require foresight and insight.
- Discuss everyday tasks with kids and talk about the steps that need to be done. This could include anything from washing dishes to feeding a pet.
- Play the game, Clue. Clue is a board game that encourages logical thinking and critical thinking to solve a mystery. For younger kids, try Clue Jr. to solve the mystery of who ate the missing piece of cake.
- Build with blocks.
- Play Chutes and Ladders– The game shows pictures of actions and consequences.
- Tell stories that build on each other.
- Play cause and effect games.
- Play Ticket to Ride– In this board game, players must plan ahead for a certain trip and use foresight in practice to make decisions based on their game pieces, cards, and actions of other players.
- Play Tetris– This is the puzzle version of the old video game from our childhood but with a hands-on approach. Kids can look at the space available and use foresight to position various pieces while keeping other game pieces in mind.
- Play checkers and chess.
- Play Monopoly– This game promotes foresight and the use of critical thinking skills to plan moves, purchases, and use of money.
- Plan meals for the week.
- Set goals and talk about how to reach those goals.
- Try writing things down! The Impulse Control Journal is just the tool to help with outlining strategies that work and don’t work in decision making while strengthening executive functioning skills.
More ways to work on executive functioning skills and those issues that present in executive function disorder:
- Task Initiation Strategies
- Activities to Improve Working Memory
- Organization Activities
- Attention Activities and Strategies
- How to Help Kids Learn Impulse Control
Want to really take executive function skills like foresight to the next level of success? The Impulse Control Journal is your guide to addressing the underlying skills that play into trouble with planning and prioritization.
The journal is an 80 page collection of worksheets and prompts to discover what’s really going on behind executive functioning skills like planning, organization, prioritization, working memory, and of course, impulse control.
While the guide was developed for students of all ages, this printable workbook is perfect for adults, too. It can help you discover strategies that make a real impact for all of the skills needed to get things done.
Here’s the thing; Everyone is SO different when it comes to struggles related to executive functioning and everyone’s interests, needs, challenges, strengths, and weaknesses are different too. All of these areas play into the challenges we see on the surface. And, this is where the Impulse Control Journal really hits those strengths, weaknesses, and challenges where it matters…in creating a plan that really works for kids of all ages (and adults, too!)
Check out the Impulse Control Journal, and grab it before the end of February, because you’ll get a bonus packet of Coping Cards while the journal is at it’s lowest price.
- 30 Drawing Journal Pages to reflect and pinpoint individual strategies
- 28 Journal Lists so kids can write quick checklists regarding strengths, qualities, supports, areas of need, and insights
- 8 Journaling worksheets to pinpoint coping skills, feelings, emotions, and strategies that work for the individual
- Daily and Weekly tracking sheets for keeping track of tasks and goals
- Mindset, Vision, and Habit pages for helping kids make an impact
- Self-evaluation sheets to self-reflect and identify when inhibition is hard and what choices look like
- Daily tracker pages so your child can keep track of their day
- Task lists to monitor chores and daily tasks so it gets done everyday
- Journal pages to help improve new habits
- Charts and guides for monitoring impulse control so your child can improve their self confidence
- Strategy journal pages to help kids use self-reflection and self-regulation so they can succeed at home and in the classroom
- Goal sheets for setting goals and working to meet those goals while improving persistence
- Tools for improving mindset to help kids create a set of coping strategies that work for their needs
Free Resource: Foresight in a Task
Colleen Beck, OTR/L has been an occupational therapist since 2000, working in school-based, hand therapy, outpatient peds, EI, and SNF. Colleen created The OT Toolbox to inspire therapists, teachers, and parents with easy and fun tools to help children thrive. Read her story about going from an OT making $3/hour (after paying for kids’ childcare) to a full-time OT resource creator for millions of readers. Want to collaborate? Send an email to contact@theottoolbox.com.
