"Honoring Commitments"

On Sunday night I made a conscious decision that I would do my best to honor any commitment I made to myself or others on Monday. Okay, it's not that I don't always work hard to "keep my word" but I sometimes find myself overcommitting, especially in attempts to be "all things to all people." I also find myself expecting to accomplish way more in a day than is humanly possible. The result is that I don't achieve the level of excellence in most things I attempt to do.

As I reflected on my short experiment I found that when I consciously evaluated every commitment before I made it I was able to scale it to a size that was more "doable." I wasn't running behind as much all day, and the pressure on my time and energy were reduced. What I also found was that I was more available for life's unexpected moments-like a  lengthy phone call from a client or the chance to take a walk with my wife.

What are some techniques you use to prevent yourself from being overcommitted?