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Using Smart Meeting Actions

Learn how to take control of your calendar with Smart Meeting Actions. This tutorial will walk you through every feature step-by-step.

Prerequisites​

Before starting, make sure you have:

  • ✅ A Mind Your Now account
  • ✅ Connected calendar (Google Calendar or Microsoft Outlook)
  • ✅ At least one upcoming meeting

Step 1: Access Your Briefing 📱​

  1. Open Mind Your Now
  2. Click "Home" in the navigation
  3. Scroll to the "What's Next" section
  4. Look for meeting cards (blue background)

What you'll see:

  • Meeting title
  • Time remaining or "Starts in X minutes"
  • Organizer name (if you're attending)
  • Action buttons

Step 2: Skip an Optional Meeting ⏭️​

Let's skip a meeting you don't need to attend:

  1. Find an optional meeting in your Briefing
  2. Click the "Skip" button
  3. Watch the meeting collapse to a small gray card
  4. See alternative tasks appear below

Result:

  • Meeting stays on your calendar
  • No one gets notified
  • You see 2-3 tasks you could work on instead

To Unskip:​

  1. Click the minimized gray meeting card
  2. Click "Unskip" button
  3. Meeting expands back to normal

When to skip:

  • Recurring meetings that aren't always relevant
  • Optional syncs where you're FYI'd
  • When you have more urgent work
  • When you need uninterrupted focus time

Step 3: Work on Alternative Tasks 💼​

When you skip or decline a meeting, alternative tasks appear automatically:

  1. Review the suggestions (2-3 tasks shown)
  2. Expand the section by clicking the chevron icon
  3. Read task details to pick the best one
  4. Click an action button:
    • "Start" → Marks task as in-progress
    • "Complete" → Marks task as done
    • "Start Timer" → Begins a Pomodoro session

The alternatives are smart:

  • Fit in the time you freed up
  • Match your current energy level
  • Consider priorities and dependencies
  • Adapt to morning/afternoon/evening

Example Workflow:​

9:00 AM: Optional team sync meeting
↓
Click "Skip"
↓
Alternatives appear:
- "Morning routine habit" (15 min)
- "Review yesterday's notes" (10 min)
- "Email inbox zero" (20 min)
↓
Click "Start Timer" on morning routine
↓
Get 15 productive minutes instead of passive meeting attendance

Step 4: Decline a Conflicting Meeting 🚫​

For meetings you need to formally decline:

  1. Find the meeting card in your Briefing
  2. Click "Decline" button
  3. Review the confirmation dialog:
    • Meeting title
    • Time and duration
    • Organizer name
    • Warning about sending notification
  4. Click "Decline Meeting" to confirm
  5. Or click "Cancel" to abort

What happens:

  • Decline sent via your calendar (Google/Microsoft)
  • Organizer gets professional notification
  • Attendees see your response
  • Your calendar updates automatically
  • Alternative tasks appear

When to decline:

  • Double-bookings
  • Schedule conflicts
  • Meetings you can't make
  • Professional response needed

Note: Decline only works if you're an attendee, not the organizer.

Step 5: Cancel a Meeting You're Organizing 🗓️​

If you organized the meeting and need to cancel it:

  1. Find your meeting card (shows "Organizer: You")
  2. Click "Cancel" button
  3. Read the confirmation carefully:
    • "This will notify all attendees"
    • Meeting details shown
  4. Click "Cancel Meeting" to proceed
  5. Or click "Back" to abort

What happens:

  • Cancellation sent to all attendees
  • Everyone's calendar updates
  • Notifications sent via Google/Microsoft
  • Alternative tasks appear for the freed time

When to cancel:

  • Need to reschedule
  • Meeting no longer necessary
  • Freeing up time for urgent work

Note: Cancel only shows if you're the meeting organizer.

Step 6: Start a Focus Timer ⏱️​

Use waiting time productively by starting a timer:

  1. Click "Start Timer" on any meeting card
  2. Choose your duration:
    • From Start (full meeting duration)
    • Standard (25 minutes)
    • Quick (15 minutes)
  3. Timer begins immediately
  4. Work on your task

Perfect for:

  • Meeting prep (15 min before start)
  • Quick tasks during wait time
  • Productive use of gaps
  • Morning routine before first meeting

Timer Controls:​

  • Pause → Temporarily stop the timer
  • Resume → Continue where you left off
  • Stop → End the session early

Timer visibility:

  • Shows in header navigation
  • Syncs across all devices
  • Visible to household members
  • Updates in real-time

Step 7: Manage Active Timers During Meetings 🎯​

When you have an active timer and a meeting shows up:

  1. Meeting card shows "Pause", "Resume", "Stop" buttons
  2. Meeting card shows timer progress
  3. Pause to handle the meeting
  4. Resume when you're back
  5. Stop if switching tasks entirely

Skip/Decline buttons hidden while timer is active (to avoid confusion).

Common Workflows 🔄​

The Double-Booking Handler​

Step 1: See two meetings at same time
Step 2: Decide which is more important
Step 3: Decline the less important one
Step 4: Review alternative tasks for that time
Step 5: Start timer on a suggested task
Step 6: Attend the important meeting

The Morning Optimizer​

Step 1: Review all morning meetings in Briefing
Step 2: Skip optional check-ins
Step 3: Work on morning habits from alternatives
Step 4: Start focused work before first real meeting
Step 5: Enter day with early wins

The No-Show Response​

Step 1: Meeting started 5 minutes ago
Step 2: Organizer hasn't joined
Step 3: Click "Skip"
Step 4: See alternative tasks
Step 5: Start 20-minute productive task
Step 6: Check back if organizer shows up

Troubleshooting 🔧​

"Decline button is grayed out"​

Cause: You're the meeting organizer (can't decline your own meeting) Solution: Use "Cancel" instead to cancel for everyone

"Cancel button not showing"​

Cause: You're an attendee, not the organizer Solution: Use "Decline" to formally opt out

"Alternative tasks aren't showing"​

Cause: No eligible tasks available for the time slot Solution: Check your task list and create new tasks

"Skip didn't work"​

Cause: Meeting still shows on calendar (expected behavior) Solution: Skip is personal - it stays on your calendar but you marked it as not attending

"Decline notification wasn't sent"​

Cause: Calendar connection issue Solution: Check Settings → Calendar Integration and reconnect if needed

Best Practices 💯​

  1. Review Briefing Each Morning: See all meetings, make skip/decline decisions early
  2. Skip First, Attend If Needed: For optional meetings, skip and unskip if circumstances change
  3. Use Alternative Tasks: Don't just skip - work on something productive
  4. Start Timers Liberally: Even 5-minute gaps can be useful
  5. Check Calendar Integration: Ensure Google/Microsoft is connected and syncing
  6. Communicate if Needed: If you skip important meetings repeatedly, follow up with organizer

Advanced Tips 🚀​

  • Keyboard Shortcuts: Use s to skip, d to decline, t to start timer
  • Multiple Skips: You can skip multiple meetings in a row - alternatives update each time
  • Household Coordination: Family members see your timer status (respects "Do Not Disturb")
  • Mobile: All actions work on mobile - optimized for touch
  • Offline: Actions queue up and sync when connection returns

Next Steps 📚​

Now that you know how to use Smart Meeting Actions:

  • ✅ Try skipping an optional meeting today
  • ✅ Work on an alternative task instead
  • ✅ Start a focus timer before your next meeting
  • ✅ Decline a conflicting invite professionally
  • ✅ Check out Voice Commands for hands-free control

Remember: Your calendar works for you, not the other way around. Smart Meeting Actions give you the power to make intentional choices about your time.

Need help? Ask Kaia: "How do I skip a meeting?" or visit our Help Center.