Why organizations and employees can both do better

Let’s talk about something we all know but often ignore: our schedules are doing too much.

Like many of you, I’m driven. As a business owner, meetings, proposals, follow-ups, and strategy sessions fill the day quickly. So when I looked at my calendar recently and saw wall-to-wall meetings, I knew something had to change – again (I slipped back into my bad habits). It’s one thing to be productive. It’s another to run yourself into the ground.

Here’s what I noticed: I was scheduling meetings back-to-back with zero time in between. No time to respond to emails. No time to actually think about what just happened in the last meeting before racing into the next one. And definitely no time for a breather, a stretch, or—dare I say it—a moment of peace.

I’m now resetting that pattern. I’ve started protecting a 30-minute buffer between meetings. Not always possible, of course—some days still require the back-to-back hustle. But the shift in mindset is powerful. I’m treating that buffer time not as “wasted” time, but as essential time. Time to regroup, recalibrate, and bring my best to the next conversation.

This change was sparked, in part, by a terrible tension pain in my lower back. This is where my stress manifest itself in my body. It knocked me out more than I expected, and I had no choice but to stop completely—reschedule meetings, delay proposals, and let the recovery run its course. It worked. I am back, and I am well, but it was a wake-up call.

Many of you are going through it too—I’ve heard of several people under the weather lately. Thankfully, it wasn’t COVID or the flu, but it was enough to remind me how vital our health is to our performance.

So here’s my prompt to you: What if your calendar could serve your energy, not deplete it?

Start by honouring small boundaries—like the humble 30-minute buffer. It’s a small shift, but it can create big change in your day, your focus, and your well-being.

You deserve time to be ready—not just present.