October has arrived, and with it, overwhelm. If I’m honest, I hit overwhelm a while back but kept pushing myself, thinking I could just get x thing done, or past y deadline, and all would right itself again. You can guess how well that wishful thinking went.
And I know all too well that feeling overwhelmed is a direct result of being overloaded. Or perhaps a more appropriate word for this time of year: overcommitted. Little by little, month by month, I’ve accumulated my fair share of commitment debt, and with only three months left in the year, it feels like that debt needs to be reduced or paid. Debt coming from:
All the things I had planned for 2026. A past version of me was perhaps overly optimistic, considering the best-case scenario, and didn’t account for the project pileup that inevitably happened when that best-case scenario didn’t pan out.
And also all the things I “planned” (intended) to do in 2026. Things that never quite made it to project status because there was no actual plan in place.
And then there were the things that showed up unexpectedly. The opportunities, events, projects, and tasks that only added weight to what I was already carrying. Along with the new ideas and possibilities the unexpected tends to bring along.
Let’s not forget those back-burner projects. The ones that have been left sitting, waiting for better timing, resources, or someone else to be available. And now, with three months left in the year, every damn pot seems to be boiling over all at the same time.
And of course, there are always those things that take up my time, energy, and attention but somehow never make it onto the project list. Like getting sick, traveling, navigating a big change, or tending to relationships.
Commitment debt can show up at any time, but in October it seems to be particularly painful. We’re just far enough from the end of the year to feel like there’s still time to make good on it, but seasoned enough to know November and December will compress the timeline. It’s time to make some hard choices. Otherwise, reality will make them for us.
~ Maghan
If you’re feeling the weight of your own commitment debt, join me. Here’s where I’m starting, along with a few resources to help along the way.
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Get real about what you are carrying.
For when you need to sort out all your projects:
The Six Categories of Projects That Might Be Weighing You Down
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Determine your acceptable and unacceptable losses.
For when you need to scale back so you can focus on what matters most:
Strategic Withdrawal: Quitting for the Rest of Us
For when letting go needs to be a team habit, not a one-time fix:
Make Subtraction a Team Habit
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Give yourself (and your team) permission to let go.
For when you need to make peace with the tough choices that come with letting go:
Where There’s a Tough Choice, There Will Be Residue
For when you or your team needs your permission to let go:
Liberate Your Team’s Bandwidth by Giving Them Permission to Release Outdated Tasks
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Pay down the debt.
For when you need to stop fiddling and call it good enough:
For when it’s time to get the work that made the cut done:
Bring Flow to Your Business This Fall
When you run your own business, overcommitting comes with the territory, and so do the tough choices about what gets your time. That’s why Find Your Business Flow starts with you. The better you understand your own strengths and rhythms, the easier it is to choose what to take on and what to let go of. Our next cohort starts this month. Want to find out more? Check out all the details here, and fill out the short interest form to set up a call.
Mark your calendars for our September events, open to our paid subscribers:
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Leadership Strategy Session (LSS): Wednesday, October 7, 2026, at 11:00 am PDT
October’s Focus: October is the last full month to shape how your team finishes the year. That means deciding not just what moves forward, but what doesn’t. We’ll look at how to lead a strategic withdrawal, so the work that matters most isn’t competing with everything else for your team’s time, energy, and attention. -
Monthly Momentum Call (MMC): Wednesday, October 21, 2026, at 11:00 am PDT
October’s Focus: With the end of the year in sight, the pull is to fit it all in. But if you don’t decide in October what you’ll drop, defer, or downsize, November will decide for you. We’ll look at how to make those calls so your best work gets the room it needs.
The Momentum Planners were built to keep your most important work front and center. Download the free version of our September planners, now available only to subscribers.
Free subscribers: now might also be a great time for you to give our paid subscription a try. $10 a month will get you all our premium resources, our two monthly calls, the full digital suite of Momentum Planners, and more. Cancel anytime.
