Hot Coffee Coaching

I would like to limit my time investments to one-hour increments.
Not interesting after an hour?
I will politely excuse myself.
Do not take this personally.
I attend a lot of events, speakers, meetings, etc.
Most of them do not save the best for last.
Most of them could easily end a half hour earlier than they do.
Or more.
I stay because I’m afraid it will look bad if I leave early.
I stay because I think everyone else is getting value,
so what’s wrong with me?
Then, someone else gets up to leave.
I stare after him or her with longing.
Please take me with you…
Which I think is at least a slightly higher moral ground than looking disapprovingly while internally wishing I had made the move myself.
Much of the time, it’s my fault as well.
A meeting with no real agenda
tends to last longer than it should.
A lunch that could have been a coffee.
A coffee that could have been a 15-minute phone call.
One hour with travel is easily three hours
or five with traffic.
Taking time back will create the space
for possibility & what’s next
to appear in its place.