325. He cancelled his meetings for a week (and nobody noticed), with Chris Lovett, best-selling author

Have you ever looked at a calendar packed with back-to-back, colour-coded blocks and felt a strange sense of pride?

In today’s workplace culture, a hectic diary isn’t just a schedule—it’s an identity. But what if all those reflex "yeses," endless Zoom syncs, and low-value emails are actually destroying your performance and pushing you toward burnout?

In this episode of Truth, Lies & Work, host Al Elliott sits down with executive coach, author, and speaker Chris Lovett to discuss how applying a "less is more" mindset to your job can lead to radically better results.

From stepping on an old 1990s CD case to convincing a senior leader to decline every meeting for a week, Chris shares actionable strategies to help you break free from busywork, reclaim your time, and become a true "corporate athlete."

The Break Point: How stepping on a Mark Morrison CD case led Chris to sell almost everything he owned, board a flight to Copenhagen, and completely redefine success.

The Meeting Experiment: What happened when a senior leader declined a whole week of meetings—and why only one person noticed?

The "Needing to Be Needed" Trap: Why we treat calendar invitations like hits of dopamine, and how over-helping your team actually stunts their growth.

Are You a Corporate Athlete? Why high performers build tactical rest into their days, and how back-to-back meetings drop your attention and engagement by up to 40%.

Strategic Laziness & Small Rebellions: Tactical scripts and questions you can start using today to protect your time without burning bridges or looking uncooperative.

Connect with Chris:

Website: https://chrislovett.co.uk

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chris-lovett-29176933/

TikTok: https://www.tiktok/@chris_lovett

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/christolovett/

Books: Relentless & Discovery of Less

📬 Connect with Al & Leanne

– LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/truthlieswork – Al Elliott: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thisisalelliott – Leanne Elliott: https://www.linkedin.com/in/meetleanne – Email: [email protected] – Book a call: https://savvycal.com/meetleanne/chat

Mental health support UK & ROI — Samaritans Call 116 123 or visit https://www.samaritans.org UK — Mind Call 0300 123 3393 or visit https://www.mind.org.uk US — Suicide & Crisis Lifeline Call or text 988 or visit https://988lifeline.org Australia — Lifeline Call 13 11 14 or visit https://www.lifeline.org.au Global helplines https://findahelpline.com