Planning is a beautiful thing. A solid strategy can turn dreams into reality, chaos into order, and uncertainty into opportunity. In business and in life, we are taught to plan for the future—to map out our next move, our five-year goals, our retirement savings, and our legacy. And rightly so! Thoughtful preparation is a hallmark of success.
But here’s the hard truth: We often act like tomorrow is guaranteed. We talk about what we’ll do “next year” or “when the time is right” as if we have a contract with the future. The reality is, tomorrow does not belong to us—at least, not yet.
Growing up, I was reminded of this constantly by my mother. No matter what she was talking about, she would always end her declarations with the phrase, “God willing.”
“Boy, I’ll take you school shopping next week… God willing.”
“We’re going to have a big old’ Christmas this year… God willing.”
“Tomorrow, I’m cooking a big dinner… God willing.”
At the time, I thought it was just one of her quirks. But as I got older, I realized it was a profound statement of faith and reality. My mother understood something many of us forget: No matter how well we plan, tomorrow is not promised.
The Pain of Waiting Too Long
I was reminded of this truth in one of the most heartbreaking ways when I visited my cousin, Wayne Curry, during his final days. Wayne was a trailblazer—the first African American County Executive of Prince George’s County, Maryland, a bold leader who broke barriers and left a legacy. But even he was not immune to the unexpected.
Wayne was diagnosed with lung cancer, and as the disease took its toll, so did the realization that time was slipping away faster than he had imagined. During one of our last conversations, he told me something that will stay with me forever:
“Rob don’t wait. If you have something you want to do, do it now. We always think we have more time, but we don’t.”
There was no bitterness in his voice—just clarity. He had accomplished so much, but he had also learned the hard way that time is not guaranteed.
How many of us are guilty of delaying our dreams? How many of us put off making that career move, writing that book, launching that business, or telling our loved ones how much they mean to us—assuming that we’ll have plenty of time to get around to it?
Act Like Today is All You Have
We cannot control how much time we get, but we can control how we use it. If today is all we truly own, the question becomes: Are we maximizing it?
Too many entrepreneurs and professionals put off taking action because they’re waiting for the “perfect” time. They hesitate, overanalyze, or assume they’ll have plenty of chances down the road. But the most successful and fulfilled people know that tomorrow is not a certainty, so they treat today like gold. They wake up with clarity about their purpose, pour their energy into their work, and make bold moves as if their opportunity to shine could disappear at sunset.
So, what does that look like in practice?
If I were you, I would…
- Get crystal clear on your mission.
If your life ended tomorrow, what legacy would you leave behind? Stop waiting for the “right time” to define your purpose. Lock in on your mission today and align every action with it. - Make bold moves, daily.
Act with urgency. Launch that business, make that phone call, pitch that investor, write that book, have that hard conversation. Whatever has been sitting on your to-do list for “someday,” move it to today. - Leave nothing on the table.
Approach each day as if it were your last opportunity to make an impact. Work hard, love deeply, serve generously, and live fully. Go to bed empty knowing you gave the day everything you had.
The future is God’s business. Your job is to make today count.
Now, what will you do with it?
