The Mind Your Time Podcast | Business Systems for Service Providers

How to Stay Consistent When Life Gets Messy

• Shannon Baker | Business Operations Strategist • Episode 225

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Are you tired of waiting for the “perfect time” to get consistent and ready to lead your business with a calm, clear structure that actually sticks?

If you’re a service provider who’s great at what you do but tired of being reactive instead of proactive, this episode will help you build a sustainable rhythm. That’s how you create calm momentum across seasons; not just in January.

Today we’re going to talk about how the POWER In Motion Framework moves you from planning to action, why small, repeatable habits beat hustle every time, and how a simple weekly reset plus healthy boundaries can turn scattered effort into steady progress. 

Consistency isn’t about doing more. It's about creating structure that removes decision fatigue and protects your energy. This is what we cover…

2:34 – What it looks like when clarity and consistency finally come together in real life and why it changes the way you run your business
4:23 – Why consistency isn’t about doing more but about staying aligned, intentional, and focused on what truly matters in your business
6:15 – Why protecting your consistency starts with honoring your boundaries and how overcommitment quietly pulls you away from the work that keeps you grounded and moving forward
7:45 – How this week’s quick win challenge helps you choose one simple action that gives you back a sense of control without needing to fix everything at once
9:42 – Why you don’t need to wait for January to reset and how taking a breath and starting today helps you get back into your rhythm

Related Episodes Mentioned:

EP 222 - How to Go From Scrambling to Strategic with Emani Guy

EP 224 - From Chaos to Clarity: How to Finally Work On Your Plan and See Progress

Resources Mentioned:

⏰ Ready to see where your time is really slipping away?

The Boundary Reset Scorecard is a quick, fillable Google Doc you can complete online in under two minutes. It helps you spot the gaps in your boundaries — from unclear office hours to unsynced calendars — so you know exactly where your time is leaking and what to fix first.

 🔧 Ready to simplify your business and finally feel in control?

The Mind Your Time Society is your space for smart systems, sanity-saving tools, and real support. Inside, you’ll find copy-paste scripts, plug-and-play templates, and a guided 90-Day Roadmap so you always know what to focus on next. Whether you’re tired of late nights, wrong-fit clients, or a calendar that never gives you breathing room, the Society gives you the clarity and structure to run your business like a pro without the overwhelm.

Let me know your thoughts! Click here to send me a text.

Leave a Rating and Review: https://ratethispodcast.com/mindyourtime







SPEAKER_00:

If your motivation's been up and down lately, this is your reminder that you don't have to wait until January or Monday even to get back on track. Because the truth is, consistency doesn't happen when everything calms down. It happens when you decide to establish your routine again. So in this episode, I'm sharing how you can stay consistent when life gets messy, why structure, not motivation, creates momentum, and how you can reset your focus so you can finish the year or the week feeling calm, clear, and in control. Welcome to the Mind Your Time Podcast. I'm Shannon Baker, your coffee loving host and business operations strategist. If you're a service provider who's great at what you do, but stuck with misfit clients, messy onboarding or draining work days, this show is for you. Each week I share both strategies and practical insights rooted in my power and motion framework to help you streamline your back end, protect your time, and lead your client experience with confidence. Because skills got you clients, but systems will take you further. So grab your cup of coffee or your favorite drink and let's dive in. Have you ever noticed how easy it is to fall out of your routine once things start moving fast in life? You end up spending so much time catching up and trying to keep clients happy that you're reacting to whatever's on your calendar and self-care and your systems end up buried in the background. I get it, I've been there. There was a time when I'd start each week with the best of intentions, but by Wednesday, I was off track and I would blame my schedule or tell myself, I'll just try again next week. But all that did was create more chaos. And I wasn't failing because I lacked discipline, but I was struggling because I lacked consistency in my routine. That realization was a game changer for me, and it's actually what led to the power and motion framework that I use today. Now, in the previous episode, I talked about step three of my power and motion framework, which is work on the plan. And I talked about how you can build structure around your goals and create a 90-day plan that gives you clarity. But structure alone, it's not enough. The next step in the framework is execute consistently. And this is where that structure turns into intentional actions, which lead to progress. And that's what we're going to talk about today. How to actually execute your plan so your systems keep working for you, even when things start to get messy in real life. Now, if you've listened to my conversation with Imani Guy, you heard what it looks like when clarity and consistency finally come together in real life. Her story is the perfect example of what I'm talking about today. I'm gonna put a link to that in the show notes. It's how to go from scrambling to strategic. And that way you can check it out if you haven't already listened to it. But Imani's journey started the way a lot of ours do. She was doing great work for her clients, but behind the scenes, everything was scattered. She was missing systems and she lacked a routine, so she was constantly bouncing back and forth between client work, various projects, and she just couldn't keep up. But once she joined the Mind Your Time Society, we started working through the Power and Emotion Framework together. And step by step, she started building structure in her business that supported her goals. But the biggest transformation for Imani came when she reached step four, execute consistently, which is what we're talking about today. And instead of trying to overhaul everything in her business at once, Imani started showing up in small, consistent ways. She committed to her weekly reset, which I've talked about before. She blocked time for reflection and then she made adjustments along the way. And when she used the boundary reset scorecard, it helped her stay aware of what was slipping that she didn't really notice. Within a few weeks, though, she wasn't just more productive, she was more aligned and intentional with her time. Her system started supporting her instead of stressing her out. And that's what consistency really looks like. It's not about doing more, it's about being aligned and being intentional in what you're doing, focusing on the things that matter most. So let's talk about how you can build that same consistency in your business. Well, I've got three lessons for you. And the first one is consistency is built through structure, not motivation. Because motivation is going to come and go. But when you have structure, that keeps things steady because you know what to do next. And it eliminates the mental clutter which leads to burnout. That's why systems matter so much. They create predictable rhythms and efficiency that save you from decision fatigue. Think of it like you're setting the tempo for your business. That means you don't have to hustle hard or work harder. You just have to stay on beat. Lesson two reflection creates consistency. And most of us skip this part. We'll plan, we start to execute, but then we don't pause to look back and see what is or isn't working. That's why I teach every client and every member in the MIT society to establish a routine that includes a weekly reset. Now, if you don't know what that is, let me tell you, at the beginning or end of each week, you take 30 minutes to ask yourself three questions. What worked, what didn't, and what needs to change to improve my results. And please note, this isn't about you judging yourself. It's about you being aware of what's going on. When you pause and reflect, you create space for you to make adjustments before chaos starts to take over. That leads to lesson three. Boundaries protect your consistency. It is absolutely impossible for you to be consistent when you're overextended. So every time you say yes to something outside your boundaries that drains you or takes time, you're taking time and energy away from what's going to keep you grounded and moving forward. And this is where a lot of business owners get stuck. They build systems, but then they forget to protect their time and space to let them do their jobs. The boundary reset scorecard is going to help you notice those cracks before they become crags. Think of this. Maybe you've been working late again and you've skipped your review days for a couple of weeks, or you're letting clients' tests spill over into what should be your CEO time, which is taking care of the administrative things in your business. Without you pausing and reflecting, you're not going to notice that that's happening. So your boundaries can't protect you. So I want you to take a minute and think about where you've been slipping lately. And this is not for you to beat yourself up, but again, it's to help you get that insight that you need so you can make adjustments. What part of your routine needs attention right now to protect your time and energy? That's where this week's quick win challenge comes in. And remember, this is not about fixing everything at once, it's about choosing one thing that helps you feel a little more in control right now. So take 10 minutes, complete the boundary reset scorecard. A link to it is in the show notes. And I want you to be honest about where your boundaries are slipping. Then choose one small reset that you can commit to this week. You don't have to make drastic changes. I want you to just pick something simple that you can take action on immediately and be consistent with it. That could be logging off at a set time three days this week. Maybe it's doing a financial check-in on Friday. Or it could be clearing your inbox before the weekend so that you can fully unplug. Remember, the goal is never perfection, it's about progress that protects your peace. Consistency is not about doing more, it's about being intentional with what you do and creating calm momentum. So let's recap what we've covered today. One, consistency is built through structure, not motivation alone. Two, reflecting creates a rhythm or routine that helps you stay aligned and aware of what you're doing. And three, boundaries protect your consistency and your energy so that you can take intentional action and continue to make progress. Because you see, when clarity and consistency come together like they did for Imani, you stop operating in survival mode and you start leading your business with confidence. So I want you to take a deep breath and acknowledge the fact that you don't have to wait until January to do a reset. You can start today. And if you're ready to find your rhythm again, grab the boundary reset scorecard. Use it to check where your boundaries are slipping. Then join us inside the Min Your Time Society to build the structure your business needs, and you'll get accountability so that you stay consistent even when life gets messy. You are just one reset away from steady progress, but you have to take the first step. Thanks for tuning in today. If this episode hit home, it's because you already know you're ready to stop patching up the problems and start running your business like the pro you are. But listening won't fix the cracks. Action will. Your next step? Grab the back office power checklist at theshannonbaker.com forward slash checklist. It'll show you exactly what's working, what's missing, and where your back end is silently slowing you down. And if you're ready to go deeper, Founder Circle Inside the Mind Your Time Society is where we can fix it together with the systems insanity suite and you'll get the clarity that you've been craving. Not quite there yet? Come say hi to me on Instagram at the underscore Shannon Baker. I would love to hear what resonated with you the most. And if you're loving the podcast, please leave a quick review because it goes a long way in helping more service providers like you find the podcast. You can do that right now at ratethispodcast.com forward slash mind your time. Skills got your clients.