He keeps asking out then canceling. Here's how to respond.

A single reschedule happens. Work explodes, family stuff comes up, he gets sick. But when he asks you out, you confirm, and then he texts to move it before the date even arrives, he's signaling that something else is taking priority. If it happens twice in a row, you're not the main plan.

This doesn't mean he doesn't like you. It means you're not high enough on his list to stick to a commitment. That's information. Your job is to respond in a way that either raises your value in his eyes or removes yourself from the queue entirely. Either way, you stop being a backup option.

When you reply, accept the reschedule but make it conditional. Pick one new date, confirm it directly, and include a sentence that signals this is the final time you're moving things around. Something like 'but this is the only time I can shift it' or 'so let's lock this in' tells him that a third reschedule means cancellation, not rescheduling.

Don't soften it or joke around it. Don't offer five alternative dates. One date. One message. Then stop managing his schedule for him.

Send your reply and then do nothing. Don't check if he read it. Don't send a follow up. If he confirms the new date within 24 hours, he's taking it seriously. If he goes quiet or reschedules again before the date arrives, you have your answer.

The moment he tries to reschedule a second time, you don't engage. You can send a short message saying something like 'this isn't working out' or just stop replying. You've already given him one clear boundary. A second reschedule means he's choosing not to respect it. That's when you're done.