Alarice's Authentic Journeys

I recently participated in a session, where we discussed the rule of 3, and I thought about it afterwards in the context of both my personal and professional life. Funny personal side note, I am one of three children and I also have 3 children. Guess both my parents and my husband and I really took the power of 3 to heart.

I wondered what was so special about the number 3. So let’s dive into the origin, how you can use it and some key takeaways (yes, I intentionally organized this into 3 segments).

The Origin of the Rule of Three

The origin of the “power of three” comes from the Latin phrase “omne trium perfectum,” which translates as “everything that comes in threes is perfect.” (I did study Latin in grade school, but I too had to look this up.)

So why does everything that we remember come in threes?

Well, there is power in the number of three. It is a very common writing principle based on the idea that humans process information through patter recognition. And three is the smallest number required to make a pattern. Most human brains can remember in groups of 3, 4 and at most 5.

Some of the most powerful ideas and phrases come in threes. “Veni, vidi, vici” aka “I came, I saw, I conquered,” made famous by Julius Caesar. Or how about “just do it” made famous by Nike? “Diamonds are forever.” “Snap, Crackle, Pop” from a childhood favorite cereal  (Rice Krispies).

What do they all have in common? They are powerful, short and memorable.

Using the Rule of Three

1. When you are creating a presentation, think about presenting in groups of 3 bullets, but no more than 9 total on a page. Think about using visuals in groups of 3. Don’t overwhelm the viewer, because they want to pay attention to what you are saying.
2. When writing a story, think about using the rule of three. The first part is the setup of the story, the second part is to build up anticipation or excitement and then finish with the punchline or resolution.
3. When thinking about goals, it helps to break them into short term (this day/week/month), medium term (this year), and long term goals (3+ years).

Now see how you can apply the rule of three in your personal and professional life. I promise you, the rule of three will be more effective, satisfying and memorable than any other number. (yes, I did put three superlatives in there for you)

The Rule of Three Takeaways

When you are organizing a story, a set of activities, or something that you want people to remember, use the rule of 3. Keep it simple (see what I did there with three punchy words?).

Sources:

https://www.rule-of-three.co.uk/articles/what-is-the-rule-of-three-copywriting

https://www.masterclass.com/articles/how-to-use-the-rule-of-three-in-writing