Four Quarters in the Day

“And will you succeed? Yes indeed, yes indeed! Ninety-eight and three-quarters percent guaranteed!” ~ Dr. Seuss

Thanks for joining the tribe dedicated to “Getting better at getting better.”

I’ve mentioned that I will soon be starting another substack, R.T.F.U. or Ruck The F*ck Up. Expect the first issue before New Year’s Eve. If you are signed up for TRWR you will automatically receive R.T.F.U., but I’ll make it easy to unsubscribe if rucking isn’t your thing.

I would appreciate it if you would invite family or friends that you feel would enjoy it, or those who are planning to launch, or ramp up a fitness program in the new year.

R.T.F.U will still be focused on the idea of getting better at getting better, only through fitness and mental toughness development.

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Think.

This month we have been talking about managing our days by focusing on the critical and eliminating the unimportant.

The trouble is that the unimportant often disguises itself as an emergency. Or perhaps it just sneaks up on us and before we know it, we are smashing alligators in the head instead of paddling our canoe.

When we catch ourselves deeply engaged in the unimportant, sidelined by wasted time, or skipping a critical event due to laziness, it is easy to throw up our hands, write the day off as a loss, and give in while vowing to reset our sights on tomorrow, or next Monday, or January 1st, and the opportunity to start anew.

Hey, if we win five out of seven days in the week, we’re doing pretty good. Right?

But, what if we could do better by simply playing four quarters per day?

I got the idea from a post by author Gretchen Rubin who said,

Instead of feeling that you’ve blown the day and thinking, “I’ll get back on track tomorrow,” try thinking of each day as a set of four quarters: morning, midday, afternoon, evening. If you blow one quarter, you get back on track for the next quarter. Fail small, not big.

I have started implementing this by dividing my waking hours into four quarters: 4:30-8:30, 8:30-12:30, 12:30-4:30, and 4:30-9:30. Yes, my final quarter is longer, but that’s how I roll.

In addition to providing an opportunity to reset throughout the day, it also makes it easier for me to establish winning criteria for each quarter.

I have relatively simple Go/No-Go standards for each chunk of the day.

If I read, journal, and workout in the 1st Qtr., I start the day with a win. (I always start the day with a win.)

My 2nd Qtr. consists of progress on my top three tasks.

My focus starts to wane in the 3rd Qtr. I try to get in a lunchtime walk, then one 45-90 minute deep-work session, and close it out by identifying my 2nd Qtr. priorities for the next day.

Finally, the 4th Qtr. After dinner I meet with a client, work on posts, or handle correspondence, and prep for the next day then watch a little TV before going to bed to read, then to sleep, perchance to dream.

Do I win every quarter every day? No, but winning two or three quarters is far better than throwing in the towel early and losing four.

Read. 2% with Michael Easter

Last week we talked about making sure that your morning routine is your morning routine and not an attempt to mimic someone else’s. This post from

Michael Easter

got me thinking about the dangers in borrowing morning routines. If you haven’t read his books The Comfort Crisis and Scarcity Brain, you should.

The Downsides of Morning Routines

Write.

Your journal prompt this week is to establish (based on the time you go to bed and wake up) your four-quarters of awake time. For each quarter identify the tasks necessary to win the quarter. What quarter(s) do you have the most trouble with?

I’d love to hear how it goes.

Repeat.

Words of wisdom from those who said it best.

“Each day acquire something that will fortify you against poverty, against death, indeed against other misfortunes as well; and after you have run over many thoughts, select one to be thoroughly digested that day.” — Seneca

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See you next Thursday!