In the new book I’m writing with Scott Bryson, we argue it’s time for a new metaphor: life as a four-quarter game. Not because it’s clever, but because longevity has rewritten the rules. A century ago, most people never made it to what we now call the third quarter. Today, many of us have 25 active, meaningful years after age 50.
Welcome to Q3.
In sports, the third quarter is where adjustments happen. The halftime speech is over. The adrenaline has settled. You’ve seen what the other team is doing—and what you’re doing. Now comes the strategic pivot. You’re not starting from scratch, but you’re also not stuck. There’s still plenty of game left.
In business, Q3 is often the moment of truth. The early optimism of Q1 and Q2 gives way to data. What’s working? What’s not? What needs to be cut, refined, or doubled down on? It’s less about ambition for ambition’s sake and more about focus, alignment, and execution.
Life’s Q3 is no different.
It’s not time to adjourn—it’s time to discern.
Interestingly, this isn’t a new idea. The ancient Hindu Ashrama system described life in four stages: student, householder, forest dweller, and renunciate. That third stage—Vanaprastha—was about stepping back from the noise of daily striving to gain perspective and wisdom. Not retreating from life, but re-entering it with intention.
Modern longevity expert (and MEA alum) Avivah Wittenberg-Cox has been saying something similar for years: we’re living longer, but we haven’t updated the map of life to match the territory. We’ve added decades to our lives without adding new narratives for how to live them.
That’s what Q3 is: a new narrative.
Not just learn, earn, and adjourn—but learn, earn, discern… and then, eventually, adjourn.
For some, this discernment arrives through disruption—a career shift, a divorce, a health scare. For others, it’s quieter: a child leaving home, a growing sense that success no longer feels like success, or a subtle whisper asking, “Is this it?”
Either way, it’s a call.
You’ve come out of the halftime locker room. The marching band is still filing off the field, tubas bringing up the rear. You’re trying out new plays, testing new roles, recalibrating your energy for what matters most.
There’s still a lot of clock left.
-Chip
P.S. This new study suggests that Q3 is when we’re at our best emotionally and mentally. The researchers suggest, “When gains are weighed with the losses, the composite curve rises through the 40s and 50s, then tops out between 55 and 60. After the mid-70s, average scores dip, though many individuals remain sharp into their seventies and beyond.” In sum, our overall psychological functioning tends to crest in late midlife, with many adults hitting their best all-around stride near age 60.