When I ask students, whom I haven't seen in a while, "What are you working on right now?" and their answers are general and vague:

Example 1. "Well, uh, my band is getting a demo together this summer."

Example 2. "A lot of soloing concepts."

Example 3. "My groove."

Example 4. "Man, I'm totally into Jaco right now."

I know that they are not practicing. If they are playing their instrument at all, it's in the form of jamming, not practicing. I've seen many students "practice" for hours and basically play the same crap over and over that they have known for years.

This IS NOT productive practice.

If you cannot list the specific things you worked on today, and yesterday, and will work on tomorrow, you are not being productive.

The eleventh commandment (for musicians) is: "Thou shalt not fake thy self out."