While every quarter matters in a game or in a calendar year, the 4th quarter represents the moment when the pressure is on to finish what you started. Clutch performers always come through in the 4th quarter and show up when it matters most! The Wall Street Journal recently published an article about September being the new January – a time to assess where you are on your goals and recommit to the things and people that are most important in your life. It also provides an opportunity for you to get back to the discipline that you know you need to have in order to make your dreams a reality and be effective in your daily routine for the remaining months of the year.

Yet, we know both in sports and in life that the 4th quarter does not always show progress and a positive score in our favor. Many times, we survey the scoreboard of our lives and find ourselves down, distressed, discouraged, and possibly defeated. We examine the situation and don’t know how we will rebound with the time that we have left. Whether you are ahead of your goals for this year or discerning how you will make a prevailing comeback in the 4th quarter of this year, asking the right questions can often lead to the right answers and solutions to help you accomplish your goals and be successful in all areas of your life. Here are some questions that you might find helpful as you think about the 4th quarter of this year:

• Where Am I On My Goals? – The first step is take a checkpoint on where you are in relationship to your goals. Many people set goals at the beginning of the year but fail to review progress during the year. In order to achieve your goals, you have to measure your progress. We recommend a monthly review of your goals in order to develop action plans that you can plan weekly and execute daily. We also recommend a personal quarterly retreat that involves taking a day away from your daily routine and physical work and personal environments to think deeply and strategically about where you are and where you are going in terms of your goals as they relate to your life plans.
• What Course Corrections Do I Need To Make? – Another great question involves the consideration of changes that may allow you to make more progress in a certain area of your life. If you find yourself traveling down a path that is not yielding the results that you want or desire, asking a question that will help you “correct your course” and steer in a better direction is very helpful. Many people just continue to dig in and go harder and faster without ever recognizing that they may be in a situation where they don’t where they are going but they are making great time!
• What Has Been Working For Me? – This often forgotten question allows you to journal about the things that have worked for you in order advance the ball towards goal achievement. Replicating excellence and being consistently great in your performance is what you want, and it begins with identifying, realizing, and leveraging the things that are working including ideas, actions, processes, and systems. This also involves becoming aware of your strengths and determining how you can continue to collaborate with and delegate to others who have strengths that complement and supplement your strengths effectively.

In addition to these questions, you can become even more focused in the 4th quarter as well as every other quarter of the year by doing the following things:

• Be Present – physically, mentally, and emotionally in the moments that you have.
• Be “Outcome-Driven and Process-Focused^©” – driven by your goals but focused every day on the process to achieve them.
• Review your goals and life plan on a regular basis.
• Schedule your priorities in your weekly calendar versus just prioritizing your schedule and the daily things that try to distract you from what’s important.
• Ensure that the things and people that you are investing in are the most important priorities in your life.

You only have one life to live made up of monthly, weekly, and daily moments that matter. Be present in the 4th quarter making the most of every opportunity!

We offer group and individual coaching and leadership training workshops and retreats that can help you and your team maximize your potential, achieve your goals, and make the most of the 4th quarter and every quarter of your life. Let us know how we can help you.

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