As we’ve entered the fourth quarter of this year, I want to talk about breaking your life, both professionally and personally, into quarters—just like a year is divided into four quarters. Recently, I saw a video on Instagram of Collin Morikawa, a professional golfer, talking about his mental approach to playing a round of 18 holes. He said that instead of thinking about shooting 6 under par for all 18 holes, which can feel overwhelming, he breaks it down into smaller chunks: 6 sets of 3-hole rounds.
By focusing on shooting 1 under for each 3-hole segment, he avoided feeling pressured. This way, even if he had a bad hole, he stayed focused on the next 3-hole block, not letting one mistake affect his entire game. It helps him stay focused, shot by shot, without looking too far ahead.
This approach reminds me of looking at a football season. A college football team plays approximately 12 games, just like a year has 12 months. In sales, you know how overwhelming it can feel when you focus on your yearly goals. But if you break it down into smaller goals—like focusing on one month at a time or one quarter at a time—it becomes more manageable.
If you’re behind at this point in the year, you can’t change what’s already happened. But you can focus on having a strong fourth quarter. By finishing strong, you can build momentum for 2025.
A few years ago, the Detroit Lions did something similar. They started out rough, with a 0-10-1 record. But they finished that year strong, carrying momentum into the next season. That momentum helped them have a winning record and just barely miss the playoffs. Then, in the third year, they won their division and made it to the NFC Championship game.
Breaking your year into segments and focusing on short-term goals helps you build momentum. As we’ve talked about before, it’s about stacking good days on top of good days, good months on top of good months, and good quarters on top of good quarters. Don’t look too far ahead. Stay focused where you are, finish strong and build momentum for the future.
That’s the message as we enter the fourth quarter of 2024. Let’s finish strong and look forward to a great 2025.
