Coffee with Cotton – September 17, 2010
Yesterday I commented on what to do when goals don’t work out. Here is another strategy you can use to break through challenges (and it’s actually good to use in many situations). It’s the concept of the ” Power of Threes”. Our brains tend to grasp concepts best when they are organized in groups of threes. This is also a key to memory. If you are trying to memorize a long list of items or numbers, memory experts always tell you to break the list into groups of three items or numbers. Think of your phone number – it is grouped in three sections. How about your Social Security Number? The Trinity. You can probably think of lots of places where things are grouped like that.
So you can use this principle to help you find your way out of challenging situations. If you are not motivated – take a few seconds and think “what are three things I could do right now to get motivated?” If a goal is overwhelming – take a few seconds and think, “what are three things I could do to break this goal down or three things that could move me forward on this goal?” This works for all kinds of things. Let’s say your desk or office is a mess – “what three things can I do right now to get more organized?” If your house is a mess – “what three things can I do right now to start cleaning up my house?”
It is interesting that a tool as simple as this can make a big difference!
