The Tough Reality of Creating a Life You Love

Read time: 4.5 minutes

Last week, I wrote about the biggest waste of time in life—letting overthinking hold you back. I shared how I finally pulled the trigger on a decision I’d been putting off for most of this year.

And this morning, as I was putting the final touches on the Clarity Lab, I was hit with a harsh truth from that voice in my heart.

“You’ll never build a life you love by waiting for the perfect moment.”

We all have dreams—spending more time with family, getting healthier, chasing passions, or pursuing a more meaningful career—but we keep pushing them off into the future. We say things like, “I’ll work on my health later” or “I’ll start spending more time with the people I love later.” The problem is, “later” doesn’t exist. We keep waiting for life to slow down, but it never does. The truth is, if you don’t start now, that time will slip away—quickly and quietly.

But here’s the good news. You don’t need to wait for that magical “this is it” moment to start making progress.

So today, I’m going to share the tough reality about how “later” is holding you back from creating a meaningful life and why taking small steps now can have a bigger impact than you think.

Let’s unpack this.

The Reality of “Later”

Here’s the thing about later—it’s a trap.

We tell ourselves that we’ll get to it when things slow down, when we have more time, when we’re “in the right headspace.” But that time doesn’t always come.

We keep pushing important things—our health, our relationships, our passions—into the future, thinking we’ll have more time to focus on them later.

But in my experience, later often turns out to be just another word for never. A convenient excuse, but one that keeps us stuck in the same place, unable to take action. And here’s what starts to happen when we get stuck in the “later” mindset:

• Constantly playing catch-up: You feel like you’re always behind. Work, life, and health are in a constant tug-of-war, and the things you care about most get pushed aside.
• Internal conflict: You feel torn between your daily responsibilities and your deeper desires. You want to spend more time with your family, but work keeps pulling you away. You want to prioritize your health, but you’re too tired to take that first step. It’s a cycle of guilt, frustration, and exhaustion.

If any of this resonates with you, then you and I are similar. We all have those moments where we convince ourselves that “later” will be the perfect time to focus on what we care about.

But as time goes on—well, I think you get the point: later never comes.

The Power of Small, Consistent Actions

It’s easy to get caught up in the idea that we must experience a huge, dramatic change to see progress. But the truth is, the little things you do each day add up to a life you love.

And waiting for the perfect moment to start working on your health, relationships, or pursuing a more meaningful career is just another form of procrastination. The best time to start is now—with whatever you have, wherever you are.

But you likely know this already, so let’s get tactical.

I’m a huge fan of journaling, and Retrospectives are one of my favorite writing tools. They help identify what’s working, what isn’t, and where you may want to make adjustments. It’s an incredibly powerful exercise but not the best format for this context.

So here’s a journaling prompt to help you reflect on your current situation:

Think about one area of your life where you’re waiting for the “perfect moment” or pushing something important off until later.

{Your journal prompt}

• What is it?
• How does this make you feel?
• What is it costing you in terms of time, energy, or relationships?

Now, identify one small step you can take to start moving forward today.

• What is the action?
• What is the expected result?

Whether it’s spending 15 minutes with a loved one, taking a quick walk, or writing down the first few steps of a personal project you’ve been dreaming about, these actions will move you forward, no matter how small.

The key is to take action now, not later.

The Hidden Benefits

When you start taking action now, you unlock far more than just progress toward your goals. You unlock a life that feels intentional, aligned with your values, and fulfilling.

You start to feel more grounded because you’re focused on what truly matters. Your relationships grow stronger because you’re investing in them today—not putting them off until “later.” Your career feels more meaningful rather than something you’re pouring all of yourself into.

And, over time, you’ll build a life you can look back on with pride because you didn’t wait for the perfect moment—you created it.

This shift will bring: 

• More fulfillment: You stop living for the future and start appreciating what’s in front of you.
• Better relationships: Quality time with loved ones becomes a priority, not an afterthought.
• A deeper sense of purpose: You begin to see how small, intentional actions build a meaningful life.
  
  

Stop Waiting for The Perfect Moment

Let’s make today the day you stop waiting for later.

Ready to give this a shot? Remember, keep it simple and start small:

1. Choose one area of your life where you’re waiting for the “perfect moment” or pushing something important off until later.
2. Choose one step you can take today—no matter how small.
3. Stay consistent and make it part of your routine moving forward.

Then, commit to doing this across your personal and professional life. No excuses. No waiting.

The hardest part will be resisting the urge to push it off until later. But even when life gets busy (and it will), focus on one step at a time that moves you closer to what matters most.

And if you’re looking for extra support, you can also use a Weekly Win Card to help keep you focused on what matters, even on the busiest days.

I hope you give this exercise a try. And if you do, please tell me how it goes. I love hearing about your progress.

That’s all for today. See you next week, my friend.