A Better Day Than “No Meeting Day”
I remember the day I decided that Thursdays would be the day I held zero meetings.
That meant no podcast interviews, no coaching calls, and no coffee get-togethers. I wanted to wake up at least one day of the week knowing that I had nothing scheduled with anyone else on that day.
It felt freeing. It still does.
But I didn’t call Thursday my “No Meeting Day.” Instead, I borrowed a term from my friend Cal Newport when giving my Thursdays a name.
Thursday is my Deep Work Day.
Naming it that way told me what I was supposed to give my overarching focus to on Thursdays rather than what I wasn’t going to do. I defined the day instead of letting it define me.
I could have gone with the idea of calling it “No Meeting Day,” but that name doesn’t propel me into action. It doesn’t give me a place to invest my attention. All I know is that there are no meetings that day.
But what for?
Deep work is what for. That’s why I have no meetings or appointments on Thursdays. I need to set aside time for that sort of work, and I need a constant reminder that I’ve done that. It gives me a place to put tasks which require more depth and focus.
From there, I started to “theme” more days of the week, repeating the theme for each day, week in and week out. But I didn’t rush it. I made sure I had Thursday’s theme well in hand before adding more to the mix.
It was my first step in taking control of my calendar. I’m sure glad that I took it.
I’m hosting a workshop designed to help you control your calendar. You can learn more about the Control Your Calendar workshop (and sign up for it) here.
