Sometimes, it’s not that you’re not trying hard enough. Your work is stalling because life is messy, unpredictable, and demanding.

Take the past few months as an example. For me, it’s been a whirlwind of positive distractions—family vacations to Florida, endless kids’ sporting events, and the ever-present demands of my day job, which always takes priority over side work. For my brother Daniel, it’s been the opposite: a major biking accident, a job transition, moving, and more life stuff than I can count. Even as I write this, he’s probably resting from a fever. Different situations, same result—progress slowed to a crawl. It wasn’t because we lacked effort or ability. It was because life was happening, as it always does, on planet Earth.

Creative and cognitive work, like design and development, demands focus. You can’t brute-force your way through it when your mind is juggling a thousand other things. It’s easy to blame yourself when you’re stuck—thinking you’re not disciplined enough, skilled enough, or motivated enough. But often, the problem isn’t with your craft. It’s the emotional load you’re carrying, the time life is pulling from you, or the mental clutter that’s crowding your thoughts.

It’s okay to fall behind when life demands more from you. The key is recognizing when it’s happening and not beating yourself up over it. Progress might look different during those times, but it doesn’t mean you’re failing—assuming you don’t give up, pack up, and crawl into the hole that feels like it’s calling your name.

Here’s what I’ve learned: First, be honest with yourself about what’s pulling your focus. If your brain is tied up with other demands, admit it instead of trying to force yourself to produce at full capacity. Adjust your expectations and allow yourself some grace. Second, when you do have time to focus, be intentional. Pick one thing to work on, prioritize it, and let everything else fall away, even if it’s just for a little while or something really small. And finally, forgive yourself. Falling behind doesn’t mean you’re not good enough—it means you’re human.

Life doesn’t stop for your goals, and success doesn’t care if you’re sick. But that doesn’t mean you have to give up. It just means the journey might take longer or look different than you planned. And that’s okay. Keep going when you can, take breaks when you need to, and trust that you’ll find your rhythm again. I know we always do, and it’s usually right after we accept where we’re at.