Key Takeaways

• September can be intense across the federal community. Managing time deliberately and keeping the year-end rush in perspective can make the final weeks of FY 2026 more manageable.
• Prioritization matters more than trying to do everything at once. Focus on what truly needs to happen before September 30 and what can reasonably wait until FY 2027.
• Small breaks can make a difference. Whether it is a walk, exercise, yoga, or simply a few minutes away from your screen, giving yourself an opportunity to reset can help during particularly busy days.
• Make room to think about FY 2027. Taking stock of what worked, what did not, and what should change can help teams enter the new fiscal year with clearer priorities.
• Recognize what your team accomplished. Before moving immediately into another year of deadlines and deliverables, take some time to acknowledge the progress made during FY 2026.

If you work in or around the federal government, September has a rhythm all its own. Contracts are moving, budgets are closing, projects are reaching important milestones, and teams are trying to meet deadlines while preparing for whatever October 1 will bring.

For government employees and the contractors who support them, the final month of the fiscal year can sometimes feel like several months packed into 30 days.

While there is no way to eliminate the year end rush entirely, there are ways to make it a little more manageable and arrive in FY 2027 with some energy left.

Here are seven worth considering.

1. Decide What Actually Has to Happen by September 30

When everything feels urgent, it becomes increasingly difficult to distinguish between what truly needs immediate attention and what simply happens to be sitting on your list.

Taking a few minutes at the beginning of the day or week to identify the deadlines that cannot move, the people who are depending on you, and the work that will have the greatest impact can help bring some order to the chaos. Some projects may genuinely need to cross the finish line before September 30, while others can reasonably become part of the FY 2027 agenda.

Being deliberate about that distinction can help teams focus their energy where it matters most rather than trying to finish everything at once.

2. Give Yourself a 10-Minute Reset

We’re not suggesting you bring a yoga mat to your next acquisition meeting, but there is something to be said for briefly stepping away during a particularly hectic day.

A short walk, a few stretches, ten minutes of yoga, a trip outside for coffee, or simply some time away from your screen can give your mind an opportunity to reset. When deadlines are piling up, taking a break can feel counterproductive, but returning to the work with a clearer head may be more useful than spending another hour staring at the same problem.

Find whatever works for you and make a little room for it, especially during the busiest weeks.

3. Protect Some Space on Your Calendar

September calendars have a remarkable ability to fill themselves, particularly when teams are trying to coordinate decisions and close out work before the end of the fiscal year.

Where possible, reserve some uninterrupted time for the priorities that require concentration. Thirty or sixty minutes dedicated to completing an important task can often be more productive than trying to fit the same work into the gaps between meetings.

It can also be worth reconsidering whether every conversation needs another meeting. During a month when everyone’s calendar is crowded, resolving something with a quick call, email, or Teams message may be a small act of kindness toward your colleagues.

4. Remember That October 1 Is Coming

With so much attention focused on September 30, the end of the fiscal year can begin to feel like the finish line. Of course, FY 2027 starts the very next day, which makes September an important time to look forward as well as backward.

Teams can use the final weeks of FY 2026 to consider what worked well, where unnecessary friction emerged, and which priorities deserve greater attention in the coming year. For federal technology organizations, those conversations may include modernization, cybersecurity, AI, data, digital identity, acquisition strategy, or systems that have remained on the wish list for too long.

Making even a little room for those discussions now can help teams enter October with a clearer sense of direction rather than immediately falling into another cycle of catching up.

5. Check In with Your Team

The pressure surrounding fiscal year end rarely affects just one person. Colleagues may be managing competing deadlines, customer requests, deliverables, acquisitions, and their normal responsibilities at the same time.

A quick conversation can uncover where someone is overloaded or where work can be redistributed before it becomes a larger problem. It also helps preserve some sense of teamwork during a period when conversations can easily become focused entirely on deadlines and status updates.

Sometimes asking a colleague what you can take off their plate will accomplish more than adding another meeting to everyone’s calendar.

6. Give Yourself Permission to Log Off

When deadlines are approaching, it can be tempting to keep checking email long after the workday should have ended. There will almost always be another message waiting, another document that could use one more review, or another item that could be crossed off the list.

Unless something genuinely requires immediate attention, maintaining a reasonable stopping point can help make a demanding month more sustainable. Spending time with family or friends, exercising, cooking dinner, reading, or watching something that has absolutely nothing to do with federal IT can provide some necessary separation from the workday.

FY 2027 will still be there in the morning.

7. Take Time to Recognize What Got Done

The transition between fiscal years creates a natural opportunity to look back at what your team accomplished during FY 2026, even if everyone is already thinking about what comes next.

Federal modernization is complicated work, and meaningful progress often happens incrementally across programs involving technology, people, policy, security, acquisition, and mission requirements. When teams move continuously from one deadline to another, it is easy to overlook just how much changed over the course of a year.

Taking a little time to recognize those accomplishments, including the smaller wins that helped move a program forward, can provide some perspective before the FY 2027 work begins.

See You in FY 2027

The final month of the federal fiscal year will probably never qualify as relaxing, but it does not have to become 30 straight days of sprinting toward September 30. Being thoughtful about priorities, protecting some time to focus, taking an occasional break, and checking in with the people around you can make the year-end push a little easier to navigate.

It is also worth making room to look beyond the immediate deadlines. FY 2027 will bring another year of modernization priorities, new technologies, mission demands, and unexpected challenges, and entering it with a clear sense of what matters can be just as valuable as checking off the final items from FY 2026.

So, take the walk or try yoga. Celebrate what your team accomplished. And when October 1 arrives, give yourself at least a moment before opening the new fiscal year to do list.

You’ve earned it.

FY 2027 will bring a new set of priorities, challenges, and opportunities for federal technology teams. Makpar is ready to help agencies tackle what comes next, from strengthening digital identity and cybersecurity to advancing cloud, data, AI, and enterprise modernization. Contact Makpar to start FY 2027 strong.