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Steven Claes – The A+ Introvert - The Meeting That Broke my Brain (And How I Fixed It)
Why saying "no" to everything might be your secret weapon
Steven Claes
July 19, 2025 • Reading Time: 5 minutes
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Hey there friend!
Last Tuesday, I sat in my seventh meeting of the day.
My brain felt like mush.
The person talking might as well have been speaking underwater.
That's when it hit me: I wasn't protecting my energy. I was giving it away in 30-minute chunks.
Sound familiar?
You're not broken. You're just fighting the wrong battle.
Today’s Focus
Why your brain needs boundaries (the science is wild)
My 3-step method for protecting deep work
A 5‑day challenge that actually works
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The Real Problem
Microsoft surveyed 30,000 workers (Work Trend Index). Want to guess the #1 thing killing productivity? Too many meetings.
But here’s what they didn’t tell you: it takes 23 minutes to refocus after each interruption. That’s not just inconvenient. It’s devastating (research: University of California, Irvine).
For introverts especially, each interruption doesn’t just break focus. It drains energy reserves.
We need that quiet space to recharge and think deeply.
The Method That Changed Everything
I call it PPP: Prioritize, Protect, Politely Decline
Step 1: Prioritize
Write your main goal for the week. One sentence. Mine last week: "Finish the new recruitment plan."
Step 2: Protect
Block 90 minutes daily for deep work. I use 9-11 AM. Label it "Focus Time - Strategic Work" in your calendar. Make it visible.
Step 3: Politely Decline
When someone wants your protected time, say: "I'm heads-down on a priority until 11 AM. Could we meet at 2 PM instead?"
Most people respect this. The ones who don't? They're not your problem.
Real Results
Three things happened when I started protecting my mornings:
Finished that recruitment plan much quicker
Saved many hours of review time
Stopped working nights
The best part? I wasn't being difficult. I was being strategic.
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Quiet Fuel of the Week
Resource | What It Is | Why You Need It |
|---|---|---|
Tool | Focus time in Google Calendar – sets DND and auto‑decline. | Automates your boundary so you don’t have to explain every time. |
Read | Essentialism by Greg McKeown | Teaches the disciplined pursuit of less; perfect for guilt‑free “no.” |
Watch | The Power of Saying No: Kenny Nguyen (TEDx, 12 min) | A concise TEDx talk that shows why respectful “no’s” protect quality and trust. |
Your 5-Day Challenge
Monday: Pick one low-value meeting. Mark it "tentative."
Tuesday: Block 90 minutes for your most important work.
Wednesday: Protect that block. Turn off notifications. Close Slack.
Thursday: Send a polite decline for that tentative meeting.
Friday: Email me one line: "My focus time let me ______."
Track this: How much deep work did you do this week versus last week?
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What’s next
Next week we’re talking delegation. How to pass work to the right people without losing control. How to free up hours for strategic thinking.
Final Thoughts
Real influence isn't about being available to everyone. It's about being present for what matters.
Guard your yes. It's more powerful than you think.
— Steven
P.S. Drowning in meeting invites? Forward this to someone who needs it. Shared boundaries create shared wins!
P.P.S. Want daily introvert leadership insights? Click here to connect with me directly. I share the stuff that doesn’t make it into the newsletter.
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