I realized I have trouble with today. Not today as in “Jan. 5, 2026,” but today as in most any day. Whatever day today is, it’s irrelevant. It’s not that I’m angry, grumpy, disappointed or in any way negative about today. More often than not, today is fine or better than fine. My trouble with today is I’m nearly always focused on tomorrow. Today is just a precursor to tomorrow … the appetizer for tomorrow’s main course.
My brain tells me: “I have to get X, Y and Z done because tomorrow, I’ll have A, B and C coming up.”
That doesn’t seem right, and I’m not sure I like it or that it is the right balance. Too often, I am onto the next thing, rarely fully savoring the current experience, event or task. I don’t live in the “now”; I live in the “what’s next.” But now should be pretty good. Now often is great! Why can’t I just stay there a bit more?
I think I’ve always had this lens in my adult life. I remember my college roommate joking with me that I’d be packed up to go home for the summer about three weeks in advance. (It was probably 10 days early. We’re still good friends. He’s a ridiculous procrastinator, but it doesn’t mean he was wrong.)
I am like this with fun things, as well. If I’m looking at logistics for our next family vacation while on our current vacation, I probably have a problem.
In Congress, the next election cycle begins the day after the election. When I worked for congressional candidates, I would enjoy the win for about two hours and then put 729 days on the shot clock. “Got to go win the next one,” I said to myself. This underscores a related, but even worse, issue I have with “yesterday”!
The win of yesterday might as well never have even happened. It’s in the past. It’s done. I’ve got tomorrow’s items to focus on.
An NRCA board member planted this seed of awareness during a conversation a couple months ago following a meeting. She was praising a number of recent initiatives the association had done and was discussing progress made in various areas for the industry. I don’t remember specifically what I said in response, but it was something like: “Thanks. We’ve got a ways to go though.”
At which point the member was having none of it and called me out saying: “You all have done good work. Don’t discount it or ignore it. You and the team should be proud.”
Fair enough.
But there is still so much to do. So much to do better. So much to do faster. I don’t feel my issue with today or yesterday is like a sports coach urging moving beyond a loss or setback.
My issue is the opposite. I put the wins in the past, too, way more quickly and easily than the losses.
I replay the loss of yesterday to avoid it tomorrow. But how can I retain the wins of yesterday or savor the game of today?
I don’t know.
Maybe it’s because I look at the game as not being over. We scored some points, but it’s the first quarter and we haven’t won yet. Maybe I’ll relish it when it’s done?
But “done” doesn’t apply to much of what we do. It doesn’t apply to safety; that can always be improved. It doesn’t apply to technology improvements where it feels like the association is always at a deficit. It doesn’t apply to most things in the roofing industry because the work is never over. NRCA has been around since 1886, and we are continuing the progress made by the generations before us. But it is not done. It never will be, and I don’t think I want to wait until I retire to finally clock a win. That seems wrong.
So the issue is with me, the player, not the game. Maybe I’m not alone in this. Perhaps you are dealing with your own version of not appreciating the “now.”
I am going to work on it. This is an area where The Smashing Pumpkins beats Fleetwood Mac. “Don’t stop thinking about tomorrow” needs to be replaced with “Today is the greatest day I’ve ever known.” I am going to work on enjoying today’s win for what it is rather than discounting it as just a step toward some other win tomorrow.
There will be lots of tomorrows, but today only happens once.
MCKAY DANIELS
CEO
NRCA
