How to Get Work Done When All You Have Is Back-to-Backs

What's worse than a meeting that drags on with a brainstorm that turns into brand therapy, five people saying "just to build on that", and a 30 minute debate over whether the word "disrupt" is disruptive enough? ... A day full of them back-to-back.. But even worse than going through meetings like a chain smoker is knowing you've got a tonne of work to do and no time to do it!

But before you resign to sleeping under your desk after consuming that bottle of wine left in the fridge from last year's Christmas party, let’s take a step back. Here’s how you can actually get stuff done when your calendar looks like a game of Tetris on hard mode.

1. Get Ruthless With Your Calendar (Yes, Even the Scary Client Ones)

Not every meeting needs to be a meeting. Some could be emails. Some could be Slack messages. Some could be—brace yourself—deleted entirely.

Start by reviewing your calendar weekly. Ask yourself:

• Do I really need to be in this?

• Could I send someone else?

• Is this recurring meeting just a shrine to the ghost of projects past?

Channel your inner Marie Kondo and remove the ones that spark no productivity.

2. Book “Fake” Meetings (With Yourself)

Time-blocking is your secret weapon. Literally book 30-60 minute chunks into your day for “project work” or “deep work.” Label it as a meeting if you must (you are meeting your own deadlines, right?).

Pro tip: Title it something vague like “Review” or “Strategy Session” so no one tries to steal it. People respect vague business jargon.

3. Use the Gaps Like a Pro

Yes, that 12-minute gap between meetings is annoying. But used right, it’s gold. You’re not going to write a campaign strategy, but you can:

• Clear five emails

• Make that one feedback comment on the creative deck

• Update your to-do list (a.k.a. the anxiety scroll)

• Refill your coffee so your soul doesn’t leave your body mid-Zoom

4. Set Meeting Expectations Like a Boss

The first 2 minutes of a meeting are prime real estate. Set a clear agenda (even if it’s just verbally), and define what “success” looks like.

Something like: “We’ve got 25 mins, let’s align on the brief, agree next steps, and not spiral into a debate about weather the logo for a digital banner should be on the left or right.”

Boom. You just saved yourself 15 minutes of waffle.

5. Do One Tiny Real Task in Every Meeting

If you’re stuck in a meeting you can’t leave, try this: pick one tiny, real task to complete. Send a follow-up. Update a doc. Draft a client email (but don’t hit send just yet—we’ve all sent the wrong thing in a Zoom'bied state).

Doing even one useful thing will make you feel like a productivity wizard in a sea of Gantt charts.

6. End Every Meeting With a “What Now?”

This is where many meetings go to die—no action plan, no owner, just vibes. Be the one who says, “Cool, so just to confirm, next steps are…” and then assign actual names to the tasks.

If no one else does it, you do it. That’s what account managers are for: making stuff happen while everyone else is still wondering what just happened.

Final Thought: You’re Not Lazy, You’re Just Overscheduled

If you’re feeling like you’re not getting anything done, it’s not a motivation issue. It’s a bandwidth issue. Be kind to yourself, protect your focus like it’s a fragile puppy, and remember: one well-written email can often do more than five badly-run meetings.

And if all else fails…go “camera off” and mute for one meeting, lie down on the floor, and whisper “synergy” into the void. We’ve all been there.