November is when knowing you’ve got fewer workweeks in the month turns into feeling the reality that (in the US), you have three workweeks in November.

No matter how well you planned, how clearly you prioritized, or how firmly you said no in October, November has a way of surfacing every deferred decision and delayed project. They all seem to need attention right now, right when your team’s capacity is at its thinnest.

What makes November particularly cruel is that everyone’s feeling the same squeeze.

Your clients or bosses want things wrapped up. Your team wants clarity about what’s actually going to happen. You want to end the year strong without burning everyone out.

And somehow you’re supposed to navigate Thanksgiving logistics on top of it all.

Instinct compels you to push harder to get it all done. Wisdom suggests prudent subtraction.

November isn’t when you discover you can fit 30 days of work into 15. It’s when you discover what actually matters when there’s no room left for wishful thinking. The projects that seemed “important” in August reveal themselves as either truly essential or surprisingly droppable.

The resources below won’t give you more time — nothing will. But they can help you use the time you have without depleting the reserves you’ll need to actually enjoy December.

~Charlie

Check out October’s resources for some good ones that still...

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