Energy Audit Tool

Energy Audit Tool
A three‑column framework for seeing what fuels you, what feels neutral, and what drains you

Leaders often assume their exhaustion is about workload, but it’s usually about energy distribution. Some work gives energy. Some work is simply fine. And some work quietly drains capacity in ways that accumulate over time. This tool helps leaders see those patterns clearly so they can make intentional choices about what to keep, what to shift, and what to release.

Energizers

These are the tasks, relationships, and environments that give energy rather than take it. They feel aligned with your strengths, values, and natural ways of working.

Questions to guide reflection:

• What work feels meaningful or satisfying?

• What leaves you feeling more energized than when you started?

• What relationships feel supportive or inspiring?

• What environments help you think clearly or feel grounded?

Examples:
Coaching a team member, designing strategy, facilitating thoughtful conversations, protecting focus time, and creative problem‑solving.

Neutral

These are the tasks that neither fuel nor drain you. They are necessary, expected, and often routine. They don’t require emotional labor, and they don’t create friction, but they also don’t replenish you.

Questions to guide reflection:

• What work is fine but not energizing?

• What tasks feel routine or predictable?

• What responsibilities can you handle easily but don’t need to own long‑term?

Examples:
Weekly status updates, standard reporting, predictable administrative tasks, recurring check‑ins that run smoothly.

Drainers

These are the tasks, dynamics, and responsibilities that consistently deplete energy. Drainers often go unnoticed because they’re familiar, inherited, or normalized.

Questions to guide reflection:

• What work feels heavy, tedious, or misaligned?

• What leaves you feeling depleted or irritated?

• What relationships require emotional labor without replenishment?

• What responsibilities belong to a past version of your role?

Examples:
Recurring meetings with no purpose, avoidable conflict, inherited responsibilities, being the default problem‑solver, tasks that should be delegated.

How to use the three‑column audit

Leaders map their week, month, or season across the three columns. Then they make intentional decisions:

• What do I want more of?

• What do I need less of?

• What needs to be delegated, redesigned, or released?

• What boundaries or rhythms need to be restored?

• What conversations do I need to have to shift my energy distribution?

This simple structure creates clarity, reduces burnout, and helps leaders lead from a place of alignment rather than depletion.