Q&A: How Do I Stay Consistent When Life Keeps Getting In The Way?

Let’s be real for a second.

Life is always going to get in the way.

There will never be a perfect stretch of time when the house is calm, the inbox is empty, your motivation is high, and your schedule is wide open. If that day ever comes, let me know so we can both go buy a lottery ticket.

But here’s the truth: the people who make progress don’t do it because life makes room for them. They do it in spite of life.

They do it because they made a decision.

Now, before we dive into tactics, let me ask you something: How important is this to you, really?

Because the things we care about most tend to make it onto the calendar.

If your doctor told you you’d be dead in three years unless you exercised daily, you’d find time. Priorities shift fast when the stakes feel real.

So ask yourself: How high on your priority list is this new life you say you want?

If it keeps falling to the bottom, maybe it’s time to stop blaming time and start looking at how serious you are about change.

Now, if you are serious, here are a few things to try:

1. Keep a time diary.
For one week, write down what you do every hour of the day. No judgment, just observe. You might be shocked at how much time leaks away to things that don’t matter. (I see you, scrolling and second-guessing.)

2. Do a time swap.
Take something low-priority and trade it for something that moves the needle. Maybe 30 minutes of Netflix becomes 20 minutes of writing or walking. Small swaps lead to big momentum.

3. Set sacred time.
Pick a non-negotiable time to work on your thing. Mornings before the house wakes up? Lunch breaks? 9pm after the kids are down? Doesn’t matter when—just make it sacred. Protect it like you would a meeting with your boss. Because this is your future boss: your future self.

4. Stop waiting for motivation.
If you’re waiting to feel like it, you’ll wait forever. Motivation comes after action, not before. Start moving, and the fire follows.

And finally—if you keep putting it off, if you keep saying "I just can’t find the time" but you scroll for hours or binge shows nightly—you might not have a time problem.

You might have a truth problem.

Because every day you don’t take action, you’re proving to yourself that your dream isn’t as important as you say it is.

That might sting. But it might also set you free.

This isn’t about hustle or guilt. It’s about alignment.

When you raise the priority of your new life, consistency becomes possible. Not perfect, but possible. One day, one swap, one win at a time.

You're not too late, and you're not broken.
Just overdue for a priority check.

Which one thing will you swap today?

Have a good one!

- Barry.

P.S. This post came from a question a reader sent in for our Q&A series. If there’s something you’re wrestling with—or just wish someone would speak to—drop your question in the comments below. I might write back in a future post (anonymously, if you prefer).