Meetings are devouring our workdays at an alarming rate. The average UK worker spends over 23 days annually in meetings—almost an entire working month! When we honestly examine our calendars, many of us discover that meetings consume more than half our available work time, forcing us to complete actual tasks during personal time.

This episode tackles the meeting problem head-on with practical solutions to regain control of your calendar and boost your productivity. I walk you through the essential first step—a meeting audit—to help you understand where your time is going and which meetings are truly valuable. Then I share five game-changing strategies: setting firm boundaries to avoid overscheduling, filtering meeting invitations ruthlessly, reducing meeting length, scheduling buffer time between meetings, and maximizing productivity within the meetings you do attend.

These aren't just theoretical concepts—they're battlefield-tested approaches that can transform your workday. Imagine having dedicated time for deep work, arriving at meetings refreshed rather than frazzled, and leaving discussions with clear action plans instead of vague commitments. The transformation begins with small changes that build momentum toward a more productive work culture.

Ready to break free from the meeting trap? Try implementing one strategy this week and watch how much time you reclaim. Share this episode with colleagues who might be feeling the same meeting fatigue. Together, we can shift workplace culture from endless talking about work to actually doing the meaningful work that moves us forward.

🔎 Meeting Audit Questions
🕒 Total time spent in meetings – How many hours?
📆 Meeting frequency – How many per week/day?
⏳ Meeting length – Were they 30 minutes? An hour? Longer?
👤 Your role – Were you leading? Contributing? Just listening?
🎯 Effectiveness – Did it result in clear action steps or just more talk?

Rate each meeting (1 = not at all, 5 = absolutely):
✔️ Was it necessary? Did this require real-time discussion?
✔️ Was I the right person to be there? Could someone else have attended?
✔️ Did it result in clear action points? Or was it just a chat?
✔️ Did it help me make progress on my actual priorities?

Next step: Look for patterns! Are you in too many meetings? Can you eliminate, shorten, or delegate some? Time to take action!

Ep 7: Productivity Is Not What You Think It Is
Slow Productivity by Cal Newport 📚 Get it here* *affiliate link

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