Productivity Dx

Your Goal

Describe your goal in one sentence:

Pick one concrete goal. For example, “Launch a basic freelance website by March 31” or “Finish the first draft of my article in four weeks.”

See examples

Clarity of What You Want

How clearly can you describe this goal?

Research on goal setting shows that specific, well defined goals lead to better performance than vague intentions. Here you are rating how precise your target is.

I only have a rough idea and cannot explain it cleanly. I can explain it in a sentence, but it is still broad or fuzzy. I can describe a concrete outcome. I can describe a concrete outcome with a clear deadline. How will you know you have succeeded?

Measurable markers reduce ambiguity and help your brain detect progress, which increases motivation. Think about what would count as clear evidence that this goal is complete.

I am not sure how I would know. I have a general sense but nothing measurable. I have at least one measurable indicator. I have a measurable indicator and a clear success threshold. How well have you defined constraints and resources?

People plan more effectively when they name real limits and supports instead of relying on hope. Constraints include time, money, energy, and obligations; resources include skills, tools, and support.

I have not really thought about constraints or resources. I have thought briefly about a few factors. I can list the main constraints and resources. I have a clear set of constraints, resources, and dependencies.

Focus and Depth of Work

When you work on this goal, how often are you interrupted by other people or tasks?

Unplanned interruptions break your concentration and create extra switching costs each time you resume. Think about a typical work session on this goal.

Very often. I am interrupted constantly. Often. I am interrupted several times during most sessions. Sometimes. Interruptions happen but I can usually recover. Rarely. I can regularly protect blocks of uninterrupted time. How often do you switch tasks while working on this goal?

Each time you switch tasks, part of your attention stays behind. Rate how much you bounce between tasks, tabs, and tools when you intend to work on this goal.

Constantly. I bounce between tasks most of the time. Frequently. I drift to other tasks quite often. Sometimes. I switch tasks, but usually stay with this work. Rarely. I stick with this work until a natural stopping point. What is your mental state like when you sit down to work on this goal?

Your mental load affects how much focused work you can do, even if motivation is high. Consider how your mind usually feels at the start of a work block for this goal.

Scattered or overloaded. Heavy or tired. Manageable most of the time. Clear enough to support focused work.

Distraction Load

On a typical day, how much time do you lose to distraction that is unrelated to this goal?

Include doom scrolling, random browsing, unnecessary multitasking, and side tasks that are not truly urgent. Most people underestimate this number; choose the option that feels honest rather than hopeful.

About 0 to 30 minutes. About 31 to 90 minutes. About 91 to 180 minutes. More than 3 hours.