How to create an intentional day using “4 Quarters”

I hear a couple things from almost every client I work with:

 “I just go through my day reacting to all these things happening around me and I don’t seem to execute on the things I need to be doing.”

“I have a plan for the day and then life happens and it throws me off my plan.”

The other day I was speaking with a client who was an athlete and we had the following conversation:

“Remember when you were a baller?”

“Yeah!”

“What happened before the game?”

“Coach set up a strategy, we discussed the role and responsibilities of each player on the team, we talked about what we needed to do to execute, and really we just prepared to go compete and win the game.”

“What happened after each quarter?”

We would go to the bench or locker room and the coach/team would discuss what we are doing well, what we are not doing well, and what we need to do the same or differently to win the game.”

“Makes sense, what happened after the game?”

We would discuss what just happened during the game.  If we would win we would celebrate what we did well and how we were going to keep that momentum going forward and use it during the next game.  If we lost, we would talk about the things we need to fix or improve on to make sure we win next game.

“What was the point of all of this?

“Ultimately to win games!  To learn. To grow.  To make sure that we were focused on what we needed to do and that we were actively taking action to do what was necessary to win the game.”

“So if we do all of this to win a game.  Why are we not doing this to win our day?  To win at life?

“Well played!”

After our conversation we worked through a process of how we can set up “quarters” in our own life to get focused, be intentional, reflect, and make adjustments to our day.    At each of these “quarters” it is important to take a moment to reflect, a moment to plan, and a moment to make adjustments.

If we are winning the day and we are being productive; why am I winning? How am I going to continue winning?

If we are having a bad or unproductive day; why am I losing?  What adjustments do I need to make to shift the momentum?

Just like in sports, we can lose the first quarter and still win the game.   We can also win the first quarter and lose the game.  The point of these quarters is to take a moment throughout the day to ensure we are doing what we need to do to win the game, the game of life.   So how do you do this?

Step 1: Decide when you want your quarters to be

Ask yourself this simple question: “What time can I take 5 minutes out of my day to reflect and make adjustments?

It is best practice to have 3-5 hours between the quarters.  Creating these windows will allow you the time needed to execute and make things happen, but it also isn’t too long of a time period, in case you need to make changes and get out of a funk.

Here is how I set up my 4 Quarters:

First Quarter: 7:45am

Second Quarter: 12:00pm

Third Quarter: 4:00pm

Fourth Quarter: 8:00pm

End of Game: 10:30pm

Step 2: How will you coach yourself between quarters?

Now that we have the times defined to reflect, the most important work needs to be done.  How are we doing to coach our self?  I believe it is important to create a routine that you can follow to ensure that the time used is efficient and productive.  We don’t need to spend a ton of time reflecting and making adjustments.  I personally take about 5 minutes to do my routine and then I get back on “the court.”

Create a plan/routine for what you will you do to reflect and make adjustments.  Here is my routine.

1. I close my eyes and breathe for 2 minutes.
2. I ask myself “What am I doing well?”
3. I ask myself “What am I not doing well?”
4. I ask myself “What do I need to do more of or differently?”
5. I look at my “Why & Purpose Statement,” which reminds me of why I am working so hard and it creates motivation.
6. Finally, I look at my calendar/productivity plan and figure out what I need to do next to win the next quarter.

Step 3: Set up reminders or triggers

In a sport we have a clock that goes off and a buzzer sounds and it lets us know the quarter is over and it is time to go to our bench or locker room. Using this same strategy, we need to set up reminders/triggers to remind us that the quarter is over.

We have our times set, we know our routine, now we need to remember to take action.   There are several different ways to set up reminders/triggers, but through my experience the easiest and most effective way is to set an alarm in our phone as the “buzzer.”  When this alarm goes off it is a reminder to take a few minutes to execute on our routine and then get back to work/play.

I am sure it is similar on an Android, but on an Apple Iphone you can set the alarm at a time of your choosing, make the alarm reoccurring, change the label to say whatever you want, and change the ringtone.

Here is how I execute on this:

• Set Alarm: I set my alarm to match the times I choose for my quarters.
• Repeat: I set it to repeat everyday at the same time.
• Label:  I change the label to say: example: “Quarter 2: Reflect and make adjustments.”
• Sound: I select a song that will motivate or inspire me. I actually change this ringtone every month or so.  This way I don’t get used to the alarm and just work through it.

Here is a video showing how to do this on an Iphone:

Video: How to set alarms to create Quarters on an Apple Iphone

In summary, set your quarters to ensure that throughout your day you are moving towards your goals and you are present in the actions that you need to take to win.  Whenever the alarm goes off stay disciplined to reflect and make adjustments to ensure that the next 3-5 hours is executed in an intentional and efficient way.