#10 Thinking in Quarters
Hello, and welcome to the 10th and final episode of our inaugural Leadership Sketch series.
Today, we're exploring an intriguing concept: Thinking in Quarters.
This mindset revolves around the idea that:
Time is ultimately a convention.
How we decide to segment it is entirely in our hands.
When we introduce the idea of 'quarters' into our planning, we subtly shift how we perceive tasks and projects.
What’s the difference between multiple tasks and a project?
If something requires more than three tasks, we consider it a project.
Embracing this mentality means we start seeing nearly everything as a project - whether it's a tiny or monumental undertaking.
Why is distinguishing tasks from projects important?
Tasks can often become an overwhelming list of to-dos.
In contrast, projects are about progression - the journey from the start to the end or, as I like to call it, "Getting to Done". This process gives us a sense of ownership and accomplishment over what we do.
That's where the concept of Thinking in Quarters comes into play.
Break down your projects into digestible chunks: 25%, 50%, 75%, and finally, 100%. This structure allows us to track our progression through each project, reducing anxiety and providing a clear vision of our goals.
You can even apply this to your day, dividing it into four quarters: morning, midday, afternoon, and evening. If an unexpected issue arises, it only impacts one quarter of your day, not the whole day. You're left with three other quarters to complete what you need to.
Similarly we can divide each hour in 15 minutes, 30 minutes, 45 minutes and 60 minutes.
I'll leave you the image I usually share in my Masterclass.
How do you navigate your day or manage your project progress?
Do you have any unique strategies or hacks that you'd like to share with our community of creative leaders? Your insights are invaluable.
Before we wrap up, I have a couple of updates.
After this 10th sketch, we're taking a brief pause to enjoy the summertime.
In the meantime, we're excited to announce that the september masterclass in Creative Leadership is now open for admissions. You can find the link below.
As always, I'm Gianluca Cinquepalmi and until our next Leadership Sketch, never forget to Inspire, Challenge, and Disrupt.