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Being able to plan and prioritise

In today's society, students face more choices and demands than earlier generations. Schoolwork, social activities and leisure interests compete for time and attention. Research shows that what determines how well students handle this is not primarily willpower, but cognitive skills linked to planning and self-regulation.

Executive functions – the brain's "control system"​

Planning and prioritising build on so-called executive functions, which develop in the front parts of the brain. These functions help us to:

  • plan and organise
  • set goals and choose what is most important
  • get started with tasks
  • keep focus over time
  • finish what we have begun

When these functions work well, students can structure their time and make well-considered decisions. When they are overloaded or underdeveloped, students may instead experience chaos, stress and procrastination.

Self-regulation – steering your own behaviour​

Within social cognitive theory (Bandura), self-regulation is described as a central ability. It means that a person can:

  • set goals
  • plan their work
  • follow up and adjust their behaviour

Students who develop self-regulation become better at taking responsibility for their learning and their time. They learn not just to react to what feels most tempting in the moment, but also to take long-term goals into account.

Attention and cognitive load​

When students have many tasks or impressions at the same time, cognitive load can arise. This means that working memory becomes overloaded, which leads to:

  • things being forgotten
  • difficulty getting started
  • decisions feeling overwhelming

Planning and structure then act as support – they "offload" the brain by making tasks clearer and more manageable.

The metaphor of the wardrobe – creating mental order​

The metaphor of the wardrobe reflects several central principles from the research:

  • Disorder in the wardrobe corresponds to many unsorted tasks and demands
  • Tidying and sorting corresponds to planning and prioritising
  • Creating space corresponds to freeing up mental energy

When students organise their tasks:

  • stress and uncertainty decrease
  • the sense of control increases
  • it becomes easier to get started

Research shows that clear structure contributes to both greater wellbeing and better performance.

Prioritising – choosing, not doing everything​

A central part of planning is being able to prioritise. This means:

  • identifying what is most important right now
  • accepting that not everything can be done at the same time
  • making conscious decisions about how time is used

This is linked to goal-directed behaviour within self-regulation – being able to resist distractions and choose actions that support long-term goals.

Sense of time and future thinking​

Planning also requires the ability to think ahead – to imagine future needs and consequences. This ability develops gradually in students and often needs support, for example through:

  • concrete planning (schedules, lists)
  • clear sub-goals
  • visual structure

Without such support, the future easily becomes abstract, which leads students to prioritise what feels important in the moment.

Planning as a trainable ability​

Research shows that planning and prioritising are not innate traits, but skills that can be developed. Students can practise:

  • breaking down tasks into smaller steps
  • estimating how long something takes
  • making simple priorities
  • following up on what worked

Through practice, both executive functions and self-regulation are strengthened.

Implications for teaching​

For teachers, this means that students may need support in:

  • creating an overview of their tasks
  • understanding what is important and what can wait
  • developing routines for planning
  • practising getting started and finishing work
  • reflecting on how they use their time

It is also important that teaching makes planning visible and concrete, rather than taking it for granted. The focus is on creating structure, reducing stress and strengthening students' ability to take responsibility for their own time and learning.