The 4th Quarter Mental Test
At the start of each month, I like to do what I call the monthly ten year test. This is not a physical test, it’s a mental test. It’s a test you can administer to yourself at the beginning of each month. The goal of this test is for you to do a quick reality check.
Here’s how it works:
- Close your eyes and spend about 10 minutes thinking about your daily routine over the last month.
- Think about your diet, your morning routine, what you did for the 8 to 12 hours you spent working, and how you ended the day.
- Once you have visualized your typical day over the last month, next imagine if you kept this same exact routine over the next 10 years.
Now here’s the test. It’s a one question test with a yes or no response.
In 10 years from now, after living with your current daily routine, do you see yourself becoming the best version of yourself?
If the answer is YES, bravo. Stay disciplined and keep doing what you’re doing. If the answer is no, then it’s up to you to use the next 30 days to prepare for the retest at the beginning of next month.
On a day like today, I suggest changing this mental test up slightly. Today is the 1st day of the 4th quarter of the year. This means there are exactly 3 months left before the new year.
So, the yes or no test question changes to this:
If you finish this last quarter of the year doing exactly what you’ve been doing all year long to this point, will you be finishing the year better than you were 1 year ago?
Just like the monthly test, let your answer motivate you. Either keep doing what you’re doing to finish strong or let today be the day you make a change. No need to wait until January 1st.