The Energy Audit

Tired and drained are not the same thing.

Tired comes from volume — too much, too fast, not enough recovery. Sleep fixes tired.

Drained comes from the kind of work, not the amount. You can work a ten-hour day on the right things and end it with more energy than you started. You can spend two hours on the wrong things and feel like you ran a marathon.

Most leaders can’t tell you which parts of their work do which. Here’s how to find out.

For one week, after every block on your calendar — every meeting, every work session — mark it with a plus or a minus. Plus if it gave you energy. Minus if it took it. Don’t analyze in the moment. Just mark it.

Friday, look at the week. Not at individual events — at patterns. Is it a kind of meeting? A kind of work? A specific person? A specific time of day?

Then ask one question: of the minuses, which ones are the price of work that matters — and which ones are just there?

The first kind you accept. Every meaningful job has them. The second kind you start removing — one per month. Delegate it, decline it, redesign it, or stop pretending it needs to exist.

You can’t delegate your way out of drain you haven’t named. The audit names it.

Burning out and can’t figure out why? The Burnout Check maps where the drain is. Free. therightaltitudebook.com/burnout-check

The Right Altitude — available now. therightaltitudebook.com