DO vs DUE: The Margin Maker

A client was drowning. Every deadline felt impossible. Her team was burned out.

I asked: "When is this project DUE to the client?"

"Friday."

"When do you need to DO the work to deliver it Friday without panic?"

"Tuesday. Maybe Monday if we're being realistic about revisions."

"So why are you planning to do it Thursday night?"

This is the problem: Most creatives conflate DUE dates with DO dates.

The client needs it Friday, so you plan to finish Friday. Which means you're working Thursday night. Any delay throws everything into chaos.

Here's the framework:

DUE date = When the client needs it
DO date = When you complete it to hit the DUE date with margin

The gap? That's your margin. And margin creates sustainable creativity instead of constant crisis.

The formula:

DUE date - (production time + revision time + buffer) = DO date

Real example:

• Client needs video December 20 (DUE)

• Production: 3 days

• Revisions: 1-2 days

• Buffer: 1 day

• DO date = December 14

You complete it December 14. You have 6 days of margin.

What this creates:

• Space for unexpected feedback

• Time for best work (not rushed work)

• Energy for other projects

• Reduced stress

• Better client relationships

The counterintuitive part:

When you build margin, you actually deliver MORE work. Because you're not constantly recovering from deadline chaos.

Your action step:

Pick one current project. Identify the DUE date. Calculate the DO date. Block time to complete it by the DO date.

Yes, you might need to push other things back. That's the point.

This is how you create sustainable creativity in 2026.