How to Save 59mins 30secs Every Day

For over 30 years, I’ve been studying how work gets done. Throughout the decades, two problems keep showing up as the biggest timewasters in every day: Meetings and emails.

Let’s address the first of those here, simply, quickly, once and for all. Our goal is not to cure world hunger (eliminate all stupid, time-wasting meetings). Just one. One meeting per day. One stupid, time-sucking, energy-sucking meeting that you feel obligated to attend, but wish you could get out of.

(Statistically, I can say with absolute certainty that everyone reading this attends at least one of those stupid meetings per day. If not... If you're the exception: Some of your buddies are making up for your absence from TimeWasteVille to keep that statistic going. For them: Please share the following secret to help get them out of Meeting Pergatory.)

Let’s assume that this MeetingFromHell was scheduled for one hour… 60 precious minutes that you’ll never get back if you attended it.

Step 1, Take a Leap

Target one meeting for non-attendance that you know is a waste of time, but you still feel obligated to go. Don’t worry. If this feels risky: You won’t die or get fired or lose your firstborn. It’s just one meeting. The world won’t stop spinning if you miss it, but you will most definitely discover a great time-saving strategy. Promise.

Step 2, When Receiving the Calendar Invite: Reply ‘Yes, Tentative’

...With absolutely no intention of actually going. (But note: The 'Maybe' or ‘Yes, Tentative’ response still covers your ass, politically. In your company, that's probably important.)

Step 3, Don’t Go.

Step 4, Afterward: Catch the Meeting Leader in the Hallway (or during another meeting)

“Oh, gee, I’m so sorry I was double-booked during your meeting.” [Lie, lie, lie.] “Could you gimme the 30-second recap of what was discussed and decided?”

60 minutes — 30 second recap = …

You just saved yourself 59 minutes, 30 seconds.

If you can, make your goal to do that once a day. Come Friday, you will have saved yourself almost five hours by getting out of TimeWasteVille!

And after a couple weeks of success with this approach, you'll figure out for yourself: "Hey, I can actually stop going to some of these stupid meetings without even covering my ass with the 'Yes, Tentative' thing!"

That's when you really start reclaiming huge chunks of your precious life.

Each of us only gets 1440 minutes every day. Make the most of yours. Your life is too precious to be spent in stupid meetings.

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Bill Jensen Site, Twitter, FB. Bill’s latest book, Future Strong, is about the five deeply personal choices each of us must make to be ready for all the disruptive tomorrows heading our way.