YOU KNOW THE FEELING
Your next meeting starts in 5 seconds.
No time to breathe. No time to think. No time to even get water.
Back-to-back meetings are breaking the way we work.
THE COST OF DOING NOTHING
Meetings were designed to help us. Now they drain us.
per week spent in meetings for the average knowledge worker
of transition time built into default calendar slots
of meetings could be shorter with a clear agenda and tighter scope
"People may forget what was said in a meeting, but not how the meeting made them feel."
ONE RULE
30 → 25. 60 → 50.
That's it. That's the whole rule.
Standard
30 min meeting
Better
25 min + 5 for you
A DAY IN TWO TIMELINES
Same meetings. Different rhythm.
WHY THIS WORKS
The science and logic behind the 25/50 rule.
Work expands to fill the time.
Back-to-back meetings often run long by default. That spillover creates lateness, rushed starts, and lower-quality decisions in every meeting that follows.
Sitting all day has real costs.
Long blocks of passive meeting time increase fatigue and reduce alertness. Short breaks between meetings help people move, reset, and show up with better focus.
Extra time doesn't mean better decisions.
Clear scope and sharper facilitation usually beat longer sessions. Constraining meeting length forces prioritization and cleaner decisions.
People need transition time.
Without breathing room, people join the next call physically present but mentally split. A few minutes of transition improves attention and collaboration.
YOUR PLAYBOOK
Three acts to change your meeting culture.
Lead by example.
You can't control everyone else's behavior, but you can set a high standard in your own meetings. Start on time and end early by design. Create room for others to arrive prepared and leave clear.
When people experience a better rhythm in your meetings, they are more likely to adopt it in theirs.
Schedule 25 and 50 by default.
Set 60-minute meetings to 50. Set 30-minute meetings to 25. Use shorter slots for quick decisions when possible.
This is not '5-minute breaks every 30 minutes.' It is shorter meeting containers. If something is still open, capture it and schedule a follow-up with clear owners.
Pledge and spread the habit.
Make your commitment public. Share your badge, invite teammates, and normalize meetings that leave time for transitions, reflection, and better work.
Take the pledge →Start at :00 or :30. Earn the buffer by ending early.
Don't shift start times to :05 or :35 — that signals disrespect and removes pressure to end on time. The real solution is to start sharp and end early, demonstrating respect and giving people time back.
COMMON OBJECTIONS
We've heard them all. Here are the real answers.
THE PLEDGE
Stand for meetings that respect people.
When you take the pledge, you commit to:
- 1 I will schedule meetings for 50 or 25 minutes by default, and shorter when possible.
- 2 I will start and end on time, and every meeting I run will have a clear agenda ordered by priority.
- 3 When I have the authority, I will ask for incoming meeting requests to follow these standards.
- 4 I may not always have the authority or comfort to push change, and that's okay. Change takes time.
Early pledgers earn unique tiers:
FAQ
Common questions.
It is a personal commitment to schedule 25-minute meetings instead of 30 minutes and 50-minute meetings instead of 60 minutes, then end early by design.
The saved 5–10 minutes protect transition time between meetings, reduce context-switch stress, and improve meeting quality by forcing clearer agendas.
No. It is a default meeting-length rule: 30→25 and 60→50. If your tool cannot set defaults, book 30/60 and still wrap 5–10 minutes early.
THE MOVEMENT STARTS WITH ONE MEETING