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
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Check out October's resources for some good ones that still apply in November (and December), related to subtraction, prioritization, communication, and deferment.
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A few reminders and suggestions for “when you discover what actually matters when there's no room left for wishful thinking”:
Your Reach Will Always Exceed Your Grasp
Finding a Little Time to Focus (Productive Flourishing Pulse #458)
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These might help you identify projects that are holding you back from getting your most important work done:
The Six Categories of Projects That Might Be Weighing You Down
How to Get Your Projects Unstuck
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And a few suggestions to help your team burn a little brighter for this year-end push, without burning out:
The #1 Rule for Being a Great Teammate
7 Ways to Prevent Dunkirk Spirit from Burning Out Your Team
Opening Team Black Boxes: The Weekly Check-In and Check-Out Practice
How and Why to Form Ad Hoc Project Teams
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 these resources, our two monthly calls, the full digital suite of Momentum Planners, and more. Cancel anytime.
I'll be in conversation with Lisa Fain of the Center for Mentoring Excellence on the Thought Leader Conversation Series.
Tuesday, November 4, 2025 – 11 AM PT | 2 PM ET
Building a Future-Focused Mentoring Practice with Charlie Gilkey
I'll be sharing strategies for creating mentoring relationships that last and adapt over time, and talking with Lisa about how small, intentional actions build partnerships that support personal and organizational success for years to come.
Mark your calendars for our November events, open to our paid subscribers:
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Leadership Strategy Session (LSS): Wednesday, November 5, 2025, at 11:00 am PST
Leading Through CompressionNovember compresses everything. Time. Energy. Attention. You get three usable weeks—and everything that didn't get done in Q3 suddenly boomerangs back.
This session is about helping leaders stay responsive without losing the plot. November isn't the time for heroics. It's the time for precision. What you choose now shapes the story you end the year with.
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Monthly Momentum Call (MMC): Wednesday, November 19, 2025, at 11:00 am PST
Precision Over PressureNovember doesn't give you more time. With Thanksgiving splitting the month, you get three usable weeks, and suddenly everything from October feels urgent again. The question isn't how to do everything. It's which few things actually matter enough to do well. November rewards strategic thinking over exhausting effort. The choices you make now determine whether you end the year satisfied or exhausted.
The Momentum Planners were built to keep your most important work front and center. Download the free version of our November planners to help you determine what actions and ideas are serving you, and which need a retool going into the second half of the year.
Paid subscribers can access the full suite of dated planners below. 👇 If you don't see them, please make sure you're logged in to your paid account.
If you don't have a paid subscription yet, now's a great time to upgrade.
