I was catching up with Paul, a leader of a large financial company here in Australia. He’d asked me to work with him and his team, so naturally, I asked, “What challenges are you and your team facing that you think I might be able to help you with?”
Paul didn’t hesitate. He pulled out his phone, opened his calendar, and showed me. His schedule was absolutely jam-packed — meeting after meeting, back-to-back, from first thing in the morning until late in the evening. Then he looked at me and said, “Cyril, when am I supposed to do my actual job?”
In this video, I want to share one simple tactic to be more productive.
When I speak with leaders, one issue comes up over and over: meetings.
- “We have too many meetings.”
- “They’re back-to-back, and each one feels like it’s taking far too long.”
- “Half the time, I don’t even know why we’re having them or what’s expected of me when it’s over.”
But the real problem isn’t just the meetings themselves. It’s what they take away from you.
Like Paul, too many meetings can pull you away from the things that really matter:
- Your actual priorities at work.
- The tasks only you can do.
- And, most importantly, your family and personal time.
How many times have you worked late or logged back on after dinner to “catch up” on work because your day was eaten up by meetings? How often have early or late meetings cut into your time with your kids or your partner?
Now, let me be clear: I’m not against meetings. They’re an important part of work. But here’s the thing — if you’re going to fill up your calendar with meetings, make sure half of those meetings are with the most important person in your life: yourself.
That’s right. Book meetings with yourself. And, just as importantly, respect them.
Think about it — you wouldn’t blow off a meeting with your boss or an important client, would you? You’d show up on time, prepared, and focused. But when it comes to meetings with ourselves, we’re quick to dismiss them.
Your time is valuable. When you schedule a meeting with yourself, it’s a chance to:
- Focus on high-priority work.
- Think strategically instead of reacting to the chaos.
- Actually, get things done.
For me, half of my calendar is blocked out for meetings with myself. And here’s the trick: no one needs to know.
When someone calls and asks if I can meet at 10, I’ll often say, “Sorry, I can’t — I’ve got a meeting at that time.” They don’t need to know it’s a meeting with myself. Although, I’ll admit, my wife’s caught on to this tactic.
A few years ago, my wife, TK, asked me to drop the kids at school. I told her I’d love to, but I had a meeting at 8.
So, we got organized, and off I went. But traffic was heavy, and I didn’t get home until 8:05. As soon as I walked in, TK looked panicked and said, “I’m so sorry! Can you please apologize to your client for me?”
I smiled and told her, “Relax, it was only a meeting with myself.”
She wasn’t impressed.
But to me, a meeting with myself can be just as important — if not more so — than a meeting with someone else.
That’s the mentality I’ve ingrained in myself. Yes, I’ve learned to be a bit more flexible for things like taking the kids to school or spending time with my wife, but the principle stands: your time matters.
So, my question to you is: Do you book meetings with yourself? And if you do, do you respect them?
Taking control of your time starts with respecting it. Meetings with yourself aren’t selfish — they’re essential.
Block out that time, and don’t let anyone take it from you.
You deserve it.
This is this week’s Work Smarter: Live Better tip.
Hope you have a lovely day!
A bientôt,
Cyril
