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Yeah, I don't see why we need to play games - just say no. It's a normal human instinct to want to please others and say yes, but it can be short sighted as you will need to tell them that, no, you didn't finish that strategic project because you went to a lot of meetings..

I also don't accept many meetings. I leave them as tentative, with the belief that my meeting time is based on priority, not first-come-first-served. This gives me flexibility to attend the meetings that I really do view as most important.

Agreed. If you're an actual stakeholder whose input is required, the organizer will reschedule to ensure you're able to make it.