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The Fourth Quarter of Your Life: Embracing What Matters Most
Whether you are in the fourth quarter of life or not, this book will change the way you live the rest of your life. Intentionality is the key to successful fourth quarter living. People don’t accidentally age gracefully. People don’t accidentally die peacefully. And people don’t accidentally leave behind legacies of hope, love, and encouragement. These all require the intentionality this book will help you develop. The purpose of this practical guide is to help you... It is never too early to think seriously about what matters most. Many readers will wish they had been exposed to these ideas earlier in life, even those who are not yet in their fourth quarter. Football games are won or lost in the fourth quarter. We have all seen it. It can be heartbreaking or exhilarating. But football is just a game. Life isn’t. There is a lot more at stake. What’s at stake? Everything.
212 pages, Paperback
Published December 29, 2022
8 people are currently reading
101 people want to read
About the author
Matthew Kelly
192 books1,407 followersMatthew Kelly is a best-selling author, speaker, thought leader, entrepreneur, consultant, spiritual leader, and innovator.
He has dedicated his life to helping people and organizations become the-best-version-of-themselves. Born in Sydney, Australia, he began speaking and writing in his late teens while he was attending business school. Since that time, 5 million people have attended his seminars and presentations in more than 50 countries.
Today, Kelly is an internationally acclaimed speaker, author, and business consultant. His books have been published in more than 30 languages, have appeared on The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and USA Today bestseller lists, and have sold more than 50 million copies.
In his early-twenties he developed "the-best-version-of-yourself" concept and has been sharing it in every arena of life for more than twenty-five years. It is quoted by presidents and celebrities, athletes and their coaches, business leaders and innovators, though perhaps it is never more powerfully quoted than when a mother or father asks a child, "Will that help you become the-best-version-of-yourself?"
Kelly's personal interests include golf, music, art, literature, investing, spirituality, and spending time with his wife, Meggie, and their children Walter, Isabel, Harry, Ralph, and Simon.
He has dedicated his life to helping people and organizations become the-best-version-of-themselves. Born in Sydney, Australia, he began speaking and writing in his late teens while he was attending business school. Since that time, 5 million people have attended his seminars and presentations in more than 50 countries.
Today, Kelly is an internationally acclaimed speaker, author, and business consultant. His books have been published in more than 30 languages, have appeared on The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and USA Today bestseller lists, and have sold more than 50 million copies.
In his early-twenties he developed "the-best-version-of-yourself" concept and has been sharing it in every arena of life for more than twenty-five years. It is quoted by presidents and celebrities, athletes and their coaches, business leaders and innovators, though perhaps it is never more powerfully quoted than when a mother or father asks a child, "Will that help you become the-best-version-of-yourself?"
Kelly's personal interests include golf, music, art, literature, investing, spirituality, and spending time with his wife, Meggie, and their children Walter, Isabel, Harry, Ralph, and Simon.
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
December 8, 2024
The Fourth Quarter of Your Life by Allen R. Hunt and Matthew Kelly is packed with practical advice to take stock of your life and make improvements, before it's too late. Each reader will relate to different sections. I plan to share the book with others, so I save here (for later reflection) the guidance that resonates with me:
We deceive ourselves in so many ways throughout life. It is time to root out those deceptions. It's time to be brutally honest with yourself. The older you get the more profoundly this honesty will serve you.
Honest self-assessment is a critical life skill in the fourth quarter.
A good person strives to be honest, humble, generous, responsible, empathetic, selfless, patient, kind, moral, courageous, ethical and grateful. These are the twelve qualities of a good person.
"You are in the presence of goodness when someone is happy for another person's success or good fortune."
"I wish I hadn't spent so much time worrying about things that never happened."
Soul destroyers: Trying to control people and situations, Gossip.
Clarity emerges from silence.
A day with no commitments is a form of simplicity that can clear the mind and focus our hearts.
Another way to simplify our lives is to declutter our space. We spend our lives consuming and collecting things. Things are great when you need them. But when you don't, they can clutter your heart, mind and soul. Two categories of things worth hanging on to: things you need and things that bring you joy. Things outside these categories weigh us down. Declutter your space and clarity will emerge.
Stuff is not your friend in the fourth quarter. It's a distraction. Occupies space. Requires time, attention and care, which leaves less time for what really matters.
If you feel drawn to consuming more, ask: What void are you trying to fill with things?
Topics for a daily check-in:
-Gratitude. What are you most grateful for today?
-Awareness. Revisit times in the past 24 hrs when you were or were not your best-version-of-yourself. What did you learn from them?
-Significant Moments. Identify something you experienced in the past 24 hrs. Lesson learned?
-Peace. Forgive yourself for wrongs committed. Feel at peace.
-Freedom. Remind yourself you have the freedom to change, to be your best-version-of-yourself.
Sometimes smaller is better; Sometimes less is better; Sometimes slower is better.
Dreams evolve as we mature. A dream job changes from the one that pays the most money to the one that is dripping with meaning. Wants shift from things to experiences.
Our memories are treasures. Big events and coincidences. Profound realizations and small awakenings of appreciation.
You have become the person you are today because of the things you have chosen to celebrate.
If you want to make yourself and everyone around you miserable, try to control everything and everyone. Stay open. Trust, surrender, believe, receive. Stay open to the unexpected. Live in the hope that something wonderful is about to happen.
Identify what matters most to you, and learn how to place what matters most at the center of your life.
Everything great in history has been built by people who believed that the future could be better than the past. Stay open to the possibility of a better future. It may not involve the same things as your past, it may involve new people, activities, and adventures.
A 25-year plan, in 5-year increments.
-Relationships. How would you like to see them evolve?
-Home.
-Career. When to retire?
-Health. What will be your focus in each increment?
-Finances. When will you be debt free? What do you plan to have saved at each increment? Other goals?
-Intellectual development and mental health. How will you continue to feed and exercise your mind?
-Hobbies.
-New adventures.
How would you like your life to be different in 5 years?
Virtue improves our life: patience, generosity, perseverance, compassion, humility, courage, honesty, faithfulness, kindness, gentleness, self-control, hope. Focus on improving one virtue, to produce results. Virtues are interconnected. When you grow in one, you grow in all.
Examine how you use speech:
-what percentage is positive or negative?
-do you speak words of encouragement and affirmation?
-are you overly critical in your speech?
-do you boast?
-how often do you use words of anger?
-do you speak before considering what you want to say?
-when did your words last hurt someone?
-do you allow your mood to impact the way you speak?
-do you use profanity?
-how often do you complain?
-how often do you gossip?
-do you use negative humor to belittle others?
-are you honest?
-do you speak with kindness and courtesy to those you know and strangers?
-are you often argumentative?
-do you go out of your way to tell people they are doing things well?
Ways to improve relationships:
-become a world class listener
-speak words of affirmation
-create experiences
-make acts of service a priority
-filter what you say with love, respect, humility, discipline
-make an effort to be vulnerable
-ask people about their hopes and dreams
We spend so much of our lives trying to control situations, people and things. These efforts are futile. Trying to be in control is a sure recipe for stress, anxiety, depression, misery. It's hard to let things go, easier to let things be. What does it mean to let things be? It means to stop interfering, stop trying to control it, change it or fix it. Just let it be.
You may have been a negative naysayer all your life up until now. That's unfortunate, but changeable. You can change. It's one of the most enthralling things about human beings. We can change.
You cannot change one minute of the past, but you can influence every moment going forward. Don't let your past rob you of your future.
What do you spend your days and weeks thinking about? Things that raise you up or pull you down? Things that energize you or drain your energy? Things that bring you joy or things that make you angry?
Whatever you choose to focus on will increase. If you focus on regrets, you'll multiply them. If you focus on ways people have hurt you, you'll be bitter and resentful. What you choose to focus on can make all the difference.
List to help those you will leave behind to "clean up your mess":
-deeds & titles for all assets
-life insurance account numbers and contact info
-bank account numbers and contact info
-retirement account numbers and contact info
-credit card accounts and contact info
-regular bills on autopay
-mileage accounts and other loyalty/reward programs
-comprehensive list of passwords
When we are young it feels like we have all the time in the world. But we don't. Sooner than we expect, we begin to slow down. We can't do the things we used to be able to do. All the time our bodies are breaking down, though we often don't acknowledge it until we get sick or are dying.
If you found out today that you were dying, what would be your regrets? What do those regrets tell you about how you are living your life? What changes do those regrets invite you to make?
Mother Teresa: When you are feeling sorry for yourself about what you used to be able to do, do something new.
We deceive ourselves in so many ways throughout life. It is time to root out those deceptions. It's time to be brutally honest with yourself. The older you get the more profoundly this honesty will serve you.
Honest self-assessment is a critical life skill in the fourth quarter.
A good person strives to be honest, humble, generous, responsible, empathetic, selfless, patient, kind, moral, courageous, ethical and grateful. These are the twelve qualities of a good person.
"You are in the presence of goodness when someone is happy for another person's success or good fortune."
"I wish I hadn't spent so much time worrying about things that never happened."
Soul destroyers: Trying to control people and situations, Gossip.
Clarity emerges from silence.
A day with no commitments is a form of simplicity that can clear the mind and focus our hearts.
Another way to simplify our lives is to declutter our space. We spend our lives consuming and collecting things. Things are great when you need them. But when you don't, they can clutter your heart, mind and soul. Two categories of things worth hanging on to: things you need and things that bring you joy. Things outside these categories weigh us down. Declutter your space and clarity will emerge.
Stuff is not your friend in the fourth quarter. It's a distraction. Occupies space. Requires time, attention and care, which leaves less time for what really matters.
If you feel drawn to consuming more, ask: What void are you trying to fill with things?
Topics for a daily check-in:
-Gratitude. What are you most grateful for today?
-Awareness. Revisit times in the past 24 hrs when you were or were not your best-version-of-yourself. What did you learn from them?
-Significant Moments. Identify something you experienced in the past 24 hrs. Lesson learned?
-Peace. Forgive yourself for wrongs committed. Feel at peace.
-Freedom. Remind yourself you have the freedom to change, to be your best-version-of-yourself.
Sometimes smaller is better; Sometimes less is better; Sometimes slower is better.
Dreams evolve as we mature. A dream job changes from the one that pays the most money to the one that is dripping with meaning. Wants shift from things to experiences.
Our memories are treasures. Big events and coincidences. Profound realizations and small awakenings of appreciation.
You have become the person you are today because of the things you have chosen to celebrate.
If you want to make yourself and everyone around you miserable, try to control everything and everyone. Stay open. Trust, surrender, believe, receive. Stay open to the unexpected. Live in the hope that something wonderful is about to happen.
Identify what matters most to you, and learn how to place what matters most at the center of your life.
Everything great in history has been built by people who believed that the future could be better than the past. Stay open to the possibility of a better future. It may not involve the same things as your past, it may involve new people, activities, and adventures.
A 25-year plan, in 5-year increments.
-Relationships. How would you like to see them evolve?
-Home.
-Career. When to retire?
-Health. What will be your focus in each increment?
-Finances. When will you be debt free? What do you plan to have saved at each increment? Other goals?
-Intellectual development and mental health. How will you continue to feed and exercise your mind?
-Hobbies.
-New adventures.
How would you like your life to be different in 5 years?
Virtue improves our life: patience, generosity, perseverance, compassion, humility, courage, honesty, faithfulness, kindness, gentleness, self-control, hope. Focus on improving one virtue, to produce results. Virtues are interconnected. When you grow in one, you grow in all.
Examine how you use speech:
-what percentage is positive or negative?
-do you speak words of encouragement and affirmation?
-are you overly critical in your speech?
-do you boast?
-how often do you use words of anger?
-do you speak before considering what you want to say?
-when did your words last hurt someone?
-do you allow your mood to impact the way you speak?
-do you use profanity?
-how often do you complain?
-how often do you gossip?
-do you use negative humor to belittle others?
-are you honest?
-do you speak with kindness and courtesy to those you know and strangers?
-are you often argumentative?
-do you go out of your way to tell people they are doing things well?
Ways to improve relationships:
-become a world class listener
-speak words of affirmation
-create experiences
-make acts of service a priority
-filter what you say with love, respect, humility, discipline
-make an effort to be vulnerable
-ask people about their hopes and dreams
We spend so much of our lives trying to control situations, people and things. These efforts are futile. Trying to be in control is a sure recipe for stress, anxiety, depression, misery. It's hard to let things go, easier to let things be. What does it mean to let things be? It means to stop interfering, stop trying to control it, change it or fix it. Just let it be.
You may have been a negative naysayer all your life up until now. That's unfortunate, but changeable. You can change. It's one of the most enthralling things about human beings. We can change.
You cannot change one minute of the past, but you can influence every moment going forward. Don't let your past rob you of your future.
What do you spend your days and weeks thinking about? Things that raise you up or pull you down? Things that energize you or drain your energy? Things that bring you joy or things that make you angry?
Whatever you choose to focus on will increase. If you focus on regrets, you'll multiply them. If you focus on ways people have hurt you, you'll be bitter and resentful. What you choose to focus on can make all the difference.
List to help those you will leave behind to "clean up your mess":
-deeds & titles for all assets
-life insurance account numbers and contact info
-bank account numbers and contact info
-retirement account numbers and contact info
-credit card accounts and contact info
-regular bills on autopay
-mileage accounts and other loyalty/reward programs
-comprehensive list of passwords
When we are young it feels like we have all the time in the world. But we don't. Sooner than we expect, we begin to slow down. We can't do the things we used to be able to do. All the time our bodies are breaking down, though we often don't acknowledge it until we get sick or are dying.
If you found out today that you were dying, what would be your regrets? What do those regrets tell you about how you are living your life? What changes do those regrets invite you to make?
Mother Teresa: When you are feeling sorry for yourself about what you used to be able to do, do something new.
January 29, 2025
This was an interesting book and challenge for those of us in “the fourth quarter.” The content alternated with prompts for reflection. There were also thought-provoking quotes from a wide range of people, including Marcus Aurelius, Ernest Hemingway, and Pope Paul VI. My favorite quote was “How old would you be if you didn’t know how old you are?” Satchel Paige (a baseball player).
It is a short book. I downloaded the library e book, but I plan to purchase the paperback edition, so I can write responses and “notes to self.”
In reading the description of the book, I did not catch that it was written from a Christian/Catholic perspective. That worked for me, but it might not appeal to readers with different belief systems.
Rated 4 stars
It is a short book. I downloaded the library e book, but I plan to purchase the paperback edition, so I can write responses and “notes to self.”
In reading the description of the book, I did not catch that it was written from a Christian/Catholic perspective. That worked for me, but it might not appeal to readers with different belief systems.
Rated 4 stars
October 18, 2023
This is workbook style. I have read through it once to get a feel for what is required. I look forward to a deeper dive to help plan for my 4th quarter.
August 10, 2024
OK book. It will make you think. Too assumptive.
May 25, 2025
must read inspirational quotes and wisdom. could reread multiple times.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews