The Productivity Leak Audit

Step 1: Identify Your Distractions (The Small Leaks)

For one workday, keep a "distraction journal." Every time you get pulled away from your main task, write down what pulled you away. At the end of the day, identify the top 3 recurring distractions.

Examples: Checking phone notifications, browsing social media, responding to non-urgent emails immediately.

Step 2: Identify Your Bad Habits (The Medium Leaks)

What is the one recurring, unproductive habit that consistently derails your progress or wastes your most energetic hours? Be honest and specific.

Examples: Snoozing the alarm instead of starting a morning routine, context-switching between multiple projects, saving the hardest task for the end of the day when energy is lowest.

Step 3: Identify Your Discipline Gaps (The Major Leaks)

This is about the moments you know what to do, but still don't do it. Complete this sentence:

"My discipline fails me most often when I need to..."

Examples: "...make cold calls," "...start working when I don't feel motivated," "...say 'no' to a request that isn't a priority."

Your Sealing Plan

You've now identified your biggest leaks. Don't try to fix them all at once. Choose ONE leak from your audit—just one—and make a simple plan to seal it for the next 7 days.

• If it's a distraction (phone): Your plan could be "I will put my phone in another room for a 90-minute work block each morning."
• If it's a bad habit (procrastination): Your plan could be "I will do my most important task first for 25 minutes before checking email."
• If it's a discipline gap (motivation): Your plan could be "I will follow the '2-minute rule'—working on a dreaded task for just two minutes to get started."

By sealing one leak at a time, you ensure that the time you pour into your potential actually stays there.