In the middle of a Boy Scout hike, management expert Eliyahu Goldratt had a realization that would change the world of productivity forever.

One scout—Herbie—kept falling behind, slowing the entire group. Most leaders would push him to walk faster or stop the group for more breaks.

But their scout leader tried something smarter: They moved Herbie to the front and lightened his load. Suddenly, the whole group moved faster.

That moment became the foundation of the Theory of Constraints. And it’s a principle that applies everywhere:

Your system moves at the speed of its slowest part.

SUPERHUMAN SCORING

In every edition of System Sunday, I assess the featured system across three superhuman dimensions: impact, setup, and maintenance.

Unlike your typical review, I focus on factors that influence personal growth. Get to know the evaluation system.

Impact (9.5/10)

When most people want to improve, they try everything at once: New habits. New routines. New productivity hacks.

But if one core constraint is dragging you down, optimizing everything else is just rearranging deck chairs on the Titanic.

You can:

• Hit the gym daily, but if your nutrition is off, the scale won’t budge.
• Master fancy software, but if your internet is slow, your productivity crashes.
• Build better habits, but if you’re sleep-deprived, everything feels harder than it should.

The constraint sets the ceiling. Fix that first.

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Setup (8.5/10)

Here’s the one question to find your Herbie:

“If I could only fix one thing in how I work or live, what change would make everything else easier?”

Not more efficient. Not more impressive. Easier.

That’s where the leverage is. 

Here are common bottlenecks:

• Energy: You’re working, but running on fumes by 2 p.m.
• Time: You’re busy, but stuck in low-value tasks.
• Skills: You’re motivated, but missing a key ability.
• Tools: Your tools worked at one level—but now create drag.
• Mindset: Invisible beliefs are putting a ceiling on your potential.

My biggest Herbie? Sleep.

For years, I thought I had a time problem. I automated, color-coded, and scheduled everything.

But I still felt like I was swimming upstream. Then I tracked my energy. It crashed every afternoon.

The issue wasn’t my calendar—it was my recovery.

When I systematized sleep—bedtime rituals, blackout curtains, no phone in bed—everything changed.

My productivity didn’t just improve. It felt more effortless.

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Maintenance (8.5/10)

Here’s what’s both beautiful and challenging about constraints: once you solve one, another emerges.

After I fixed my sleep, my constraint shifted to focus. I had the energy to work, but I was still getting pulled in too many directions. So I tackled that next.

The goal isn’t to eliminate all constraints (impossible) but to systematically address the one that’s currently limiting you most.

BRINGING IT HOME

You don’t need another app, another course, or another strategy.

You need to find your Herbie.

Take five minutes today to honestly assess: What’s the one thing that, if you fixed it, would make everything else in your work or life feel more effortless?

That’s where your next breakthrough is waiting.

All systems go,

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