3 Steps to Avoid Overcommitment

It’s only the second day of December and I’m already overloaded with requests for my time, skills, money, and other resources. If I’m not careful about guarding my time, I will find myself overbooked and stressed out.

As I’ve been processing these requests, I remembered a blog post I wrote last year about what to do when you are overwhelmed by your responsibilities. I read over that post just the other day and realized I needed to take my own advice so I don’t take on any commitments I can’t handle.

I thought that some of you may benefit from this advice as the busyness of December hits home.

Note: Please remember the commitments I’m talking about are not your job or your roles as a parent or spouse. I’m speaking more about the roles we take on voluntarily.

Here are three things I do when I feel overwhelmed by commitments:

1. I first look at commitments I’ve already made. I decide which ones are in line with what I feel God has called me to do in my life.

2. Next, I determine the time frames for these current commitments. If there is a specific end date to fulfill the commitment, I try my best to make it through that time so I can complete my responsibility. If it is an activity that has no specific end time and is something that is not aligned with what I feel God has called me to do, then I eliminate it from my schedule.

3. Finally, when I’m asked to take on another commitment, I spend a lot of time in prayer and consideration so that I do not automatically take on something else that will distract me from God’s purposes for my life.

I’ve gotten pretty good at saying “no” to requests for my time. All I have to do is remember back to the times when I had too much on my calendar and the stress it caused in my life. That is a sure way to keep me from being overcommitted!

Leave a comment below and share what you do when you become overwhelmed by responsibilities.