Balancing the now and what’s next — execution and future opportunities

On any given day, I find myself toggling between two distinct types of work.

There’s the here and now, delivering on client projects, responding to emails, producing content, and addressing immediate priorities.

Then there’s the what’s next, submitting applications, preparing proposals, writing pitch decks, and exploring new opportunities that could unfold months from now.

This is nothing new. Maybe you can relate.

Lately I’ve become more aware of this constant balance between executing what’s in front of you and investing in what’s next.

It’s not just about managing time or deciding what’s urgent. It’s about switching between two very different mindsets.

The mindset shift: future you vs. present you

When you’re in execution mode, you’re deep in the work — immersed, focused, and refining something that’s already in motion. In this state, you can fully embrace the opportunities already on your plate, feeling grateful that they align with your skills and interests.

But then there’s the future-planning mindset, where you have to step away from execution and think strategically about what’s coming next.

The idea of looking out for the “future you” always reminds me of this WealthSimple ad from many years ago. It’s clearly stuck with me, and I’ve probably referenced it many times while discussing different projects and ideas:

This shift is especially emphasized when you’re self-employed or leading your own company. In larger organizations, business development and sales teams are constantly working on the pipeline while others focus on execution.

But when you’re a solo creator, founder, or independent consultant, you are both departments. You have to be intentional about carving out time for business development, even when your current workload feels full.

At times, this can feel like a distraction — like you’re being pulled away from going deep on an existing project, conversation, or creative process. Other times, it feels like an obligation — knowing that if you don’t invest in future opportunities, you could find yourself scrambling down the line.

So how do you balance the two?

Unfortunately, I can’t answer that. At least not in today’s piece.

Doing it all?

Of course, there’s a lot more in life and in work than addressing a growing list of today’s and tomorrow’s tasks.

There's only so much we can do at once.

Over the years as a multi-passionate founder and creative, I’ve become more and more aware of this and have developed healthier habits and “work-life integration” as they say.

I’ve seen friends and colleagues pushing it to the extreme in various areas (adrenal fatigue, leaves of absence, or shutting down their own businesses). And I’ve pushed too hard, too, sacrificing my health to fit anything and everything in. It doesn’t seem to work out the way we’d like it.

So it’s not about doing it all right now. And it’s not about winning in all areas of your life and work simultaneously.

This quote pops into my head at times, reluctantly: “You can have it all, but you can’t have it all at once”.

There’s so much I’d like to try, do and create — from writing books to launching products to hosting bigger events to creating content series or opening a space — but I’ve always wanted to do it “well” or wanted to ensure I could finish it before even starting.

The creative process: taking more swings

After drafting the above earlier this week, I came across an episode of The Daily Creative podcast that refreshed my perspective.

Because success is not only about finishing.

Todd Henry compared creative work, ideas and projects to baseball — it takes thousands of swings to get just a few home runs:

A Hall of Fame hitter actually fails two-thirds of the time. Yet, we often compare ourselves to others’ home runs without considering how many misses it took to get there.

One of the featured guests on this episode was Becky Blades, and her comments really stood out to me. She’s the author of Start More Than You Can Finish: A Creative Permission Slip to Unleash Your Best Ideas, and challenges the idea that success is only about finishing things.

Professionals often hesitate to start something unless they’re sure they can see it through. Becky shared this happens a lot to creative professionals, and those that bill for their time. I definitely relate for a few reasons.

But it’s not all about focusing and finishing that one thing.

Focusing too much on finishing doesn’t make us finish more — it just makes us start less.

That hit me.

Think about how many ideas we hesitate to explore because we’re unsure where they’ll lead. Or how often we hold back from pursuing something because we feel like we should be optimizing the present.

Even famous figures like Mozart didn’t necessarily have a higher success rate than his peers — he just started and produced more. The same goes for baseball player Babe Ruth, who struck out more than almost anyone — but also hit record-breaking home runs because of it.

I’ve shared this idea of starting more than you can finish in a few conversations this week, and it’s so awesome to see it resonating as much as it did with me.

There are a couple of ideas I’ve had on the back burner that you may just hear about this year…

Prioritizing action over perfection — think improv

If you’ve ever watched or done improv, you can probably see how this applies. It’s not about getting things right; it’s about doing and taking action. (There’s no perfect choice, but some are better than others). The stakes are low, so trying and failing is part of the process.

To move forward — whether working on creative projects, business ideas or addressing social issues — we need to agree and build upon ideas rather than second-guessing them. Saying "yes, and" like improv allows momentum to develop instead of stagnation.

My friend Bryce runs an improv program in Toronto (the next cohort is coming up), where he teaches the soft skills to help take your career to the next level.

This all connects to the book’s mindset of a “stARTist” — a creative person who acts quickly, with curiosity, even before knowing exactly what to do. Embrace uncertainty, work without overplanning, and trust that the next step will reveal itself.

Permission to start more

Let’s take it back to the top.

I was inspired to write this week’s newsletter after noticing my constant back-and-forth between executing my immediate to-do list vs. investing in future opportunities and diving deeper into future projects, events or collaborations (whether weeks, months or years ahead).

Is it just about balancing my time better?
Not really — I think it’s more of a mindset thing.

Perhaps you can relate.

This balance between executing what’s in front of us and planting seeds for what’s next seems less about efficiency and more about permission.

Permission to take more swings, start without overthinking.
Permission to pursue ideas without feeling like every effort must be a home run.

Now, a few questions for you (that I genuinely want to know):

What’s something you’d like to start?
What do you need more permission to do?
How do you navigate the balance of now vs. future?

Let me know,

— Daniel

Speaking of acting on ideas and getting started…

My nonprofit, ACCESS, has opened applications for our Bright Ideas Pitch. Since turning 10 in 2016, we’ve provided funding and mentorship to dozens of youth-led initiatives working toward positive social change. ​Investing in youth-led ideas builds stronger, more resilient communities — something we need even more of today.

And yesterday, my interview on TakingITGlobal's Sprout Your Ideas podcast was published. It’s mainly meant for young, aspiring founders, but feel free to listen to some of my story and recommendations.

Thanks so much for getting to the end of another edition of The Intersection.