Stop Wasting Time: The Art of Saying No to Useless Meetings

You know what’s worse than a poorly brewed cup of coffee? A meeting that never needed to happen. The kind that drags on, chewing up your day and leaving you wondering why anyone thought it was a good idea in the first place. Let’s call it like it is: most meetings aren’t about collaboration—they’re about control. Someone wants to feel important, like their calendar invites validate their existence.

But here’s the truth: 95% of meetings could either be an email, a quick message, or a five-minute call. Think about it. How many times have you sat in a room—or worse, a Zoom—watching the clock tick while someone rehashes points that could’ve been summarized in a Slack thread? It’s like everyone agreed to waste each other’s time, and nobody had the guts to say, “Why are we even here?”

Here’s the thing: your time is precious, and you’re not obligated to donate it to the altar of unnecessary meetings. Instead of defaulting to “yes,” try this: politely decline or redirect. Say, “Can we handle this with a quick call?” Or, “Shoot me the details in an email—I’ll take care of it.” You’ll be amazed how often people realize they don’t need that hour-long slot after all.

The power of saying “no” is about clearing your schedule and reclaiming your focus. Because when you stop letting meetings run your day, you can actually get things done. So, the next time a meeting invite lands in your inbox, ask yourself: is this really necessary, or is someone just trying to feel important? If it’s the latter, feel free to hit decline. You’ll thank yourself later.

---

Mitch Jackson | links