I 100% agree. It's about creating your own oasis. There will be friction from everyone around you, the only way to overcome it is by producing results and being

I 100% agree. It's about creating your own oasis. There will be friction from everyone around you, the only way to overcome it is by producing results and being very clear about your intentions. Also don't be surprised if your manager / co-workers around you forget agreements that have been made. Occasionally you might have to compromise, other times stand your ground. Moreover there is a fine line between poking the sleeping bear and acting like a prima-donna because things are beneath you. You can't always work on the most complex, or interesting projects. Someone has to fix the defects, produce the blue widget, now that the red widget is working. Personally I try to alternate between working on "cool" things and a boring but relatively important thing. That way I support the team, but also make 10x progress on some things. Meeting wise, I block out 4 hours a day (if I can) in my calendar. If you are using Microsoft Outlook you can setup Focus time. There are days that I do end up going to meetings during my focus blocks, but I consider it a choice. Of course I have had multiple honest discussions with my manager to manage expectations on both sides. Figuring out your manager's main needs / goals can help a lot in those discussions.