Why do I get so overwhelmed?
Why do I always have so many tasks on my list without getting anywhere?
Have you ever asked yourself any of these questions? Don’t worry happens to us too.
There are so many reasons why we overcommit:
– too many goals,
– always eager to help others out, or feeling
– guilty to say no to a colleague
The list grows and grows and we suddenly underdeliver – or at least worry about underdelivering.
Its hard to keep up your usual work quality when there is constant time pressure pushing you. Nagging you.
But before we discuss the tips to avoid overpromising and under delivering we first need to define the following term:
What does the word overcommited mean?
According to collinsdictionary.com, overcommitting describes the obligation to ourselves or someone else to put in more resources than we can.
Short: We promise to do more than we can realistically do in a given time period, or with the finances/ tools or other resources we have.
(Overcommitting is an overpromise synonym)
9 signs of over commitment
- Feeling overwhelmed or worried
- Facing increasing time pressure
- Making multiple mistakes
- Having trouble focusing or struggle with a fuzzy brain
- Avoiding colleagues, friends, or family members
- Having trouble sleeping
- Abnormal eating behavior (eating much more or less than before)
- Not having the time for your usual hobbies
- Intense emotions like anger, sadness, frustrations
10 Ways To not overcommit:
Now, let’s look at the tips to avoid overpromising and under delivering:
Learning not to overcommit is just as important as setting boundaries. So when looking at your to-do list check whether the tasks are actually your responsibility:
Are most tasks for your own goals or do people pass off their tasks on you ?
How to not overcommit yourself for others:
- Learn to say no (in a kind way)
- Only take tasks that you can actually fit into your schedule
- Hand off some of your tasks to others in return
- Tell them openly that you are already overcommitted
How to not Overpromise to do things for yourself:
- Lower your self-expectations
- Don’t start too many new things at the same time
- Restrict your tasks to a certain number each day
- When planning your week, also consider the time for cleaning, cooking, self-care, doctor’s appointments, etc.
- Finish tasks according to your deadlines
- Be clear about your resources (Finances, Time, Skills etc)
9 Ways to improve work performance when you are overwhelmed, stressed, and overpromised:
- Prioritize tasks and remove unimportant to-dos (try to decrease time pressure)
- Keep up your sleep schedule and health
- Focus on one task at a time
- Ask for help
- Staying organized is key !!
- Sort your tasks based on deadlines and start with the earliest thing to be finished
- Estimated what you can achieve today and only finish these tasks with care.
- Take breaks in between, get fresh air, water, a short meditation.
Take the time to reread your work before handing it in (Calculate the numbers again, check the spelling, etc) – (Fellow)
Q&A’s for when you overpromise and underdeliver
Why do I always overcommit?
You probably wonder “why do I overcommit myself?” Trueth to be told – we all do or did at some point of our journey. Overpromising is simply a form of not setting boundaries or limits for ourselves. We don’t want to let others down. Or we are over-achievers and are taking on too many tasks on at once.
Overcommitting also shows us that we wrongly assessed our resources. We didn’t estimate that the set task would be as time-consuming or “hard” as it suddenly turned out to be. We miscalculated the money we needed or overestimated our own skills.
What are your reasons for overcommitting? Is overcommitting a weakness?
You probably wonder if it is a weakness to take on too many tasks at once.
The answer is yes!
Overcommitting can cause:
- Bad work results
- Physical problems (due to lack of sleep, change in diet)
- Mental problems (like burnout, anxiety)
- Isolation and clashes with your family, friends, and colleagues
- Change your Self-perception (self-doubt)
How to say No Kindly:
Everyone is busy from time to time, so you don’t need to worry about rejecting someone’s call for help when you have a lot going on. Here are some strategies to say no:
- Tell them you are busy today, but you can help them next week (Postpone Commitment)
- Let them know you can help them to a certain extent. (E.g. I can only proofread not write your article) (Minimize Commitment)
- Tell them you are super busy, but your colleague can help. (Defer Commitment)
- Let them know you are already overcommitted and you can’t help at the moment. (Reject Commitment)
If you need the exact wording you can check out the post of BetterUp!
But let’s be honest – Friends and family are mostly understanding when you tell them about your busy schedule. Nobody will hold it against you if you say no! Just give them a friendly “I am afraid, I am already overcomitted” and move on with your day.
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