Have you harnessed the POWER of 3?

Before we get into "the power of 3," I have an invitation for you:

Do you have personal branding questions? Please join me for my upcoming Personal Branding Q&A session on Tuesday, July 25. It's live and it's FREE! I hope to see you there. Click HERE for more information and to register.

Now, I have a Q for you...

Have you ever noticed that the number 3 is everywhere?

We perceive the world in 3 dimensions, we measure time in 3 tenses, our eyes are trichromatic, many religions reference triple deities, and we award 3 medals in sports and other competitions. And then there are the trilogies. Think Godfather, Star Wars, and The Lord of the Rings.

I even reformatted this newsletter to share 3 main learnings every week!

Of the over 130 Talk About Talk podcast episodes released to date, THE POWER OF 3 is definitely my favourite. I did a lot of reading up on examples of 3s and why 3 is so effective and prevalent.

My sound production engineer (and brother) Brian also had a lot of fun with the sound effects in this episode. (Thank you, Brian!)

This week we're re-releasing "The Power of Three." Whether you've heard this episode before or not, I hope you'll give it a listen. Click here or find it on whatever podcast app you use, Talk About Talk episode #133.

3 things to Talk About this week:

1. What makes 3 a magical number
2. Make 3 your default
3. The power of 3 in action!

1️⃣ What makes 3 a magical number

"I found Tracy, I saved the show,
I always think of a third thing when I'm listing stuff."
– Tina Fey as Liz Lemon in 30 Rock

Me too, Tina!

So what's so special about the number 3?

Of course, the answer is a 3-parter.

#1 Three is balanced - Have you ever noticed that stools and tables with 3 legs don't wobble? And did you know that triangles are the most stable shape? Using the power of 3 can add balance and stability to your communication. #2 Three is substantive - Remember when you first learned how to write an essay in school? You had your introduction, conclusion, and how many supporting paragraphs? That's right – the magic number 3! Three is thorough. It's enough to support your point, but not too much for the other person to digest. Which leads me to...#3 Three is not overwhelming - Have you ever felt like you were being bombarded with way more information than you could possibly process? Using the power of 3 helps to minimize the cognitive load of the person with whom we are communicating. It's also easier to understand and memorize information when it comes in a group of three.

2️⃣ Make 3 your default

The power of 3 can enhance your communication when you are:

Sharing highlights or main takeaways.
Creating outlines for reports, presentations, articles, and more.
Influencing or persuading.
Ranking things.
Creating frameworks.

Whenever I wonder "how many?" I always make 3 my default, and I encourage you to do the same.

Three might not always be the right number, but more often than not it is. (There's a reason your English teacher taught you to include those three supporting paragraphs in your essays!)

And if 3 isn't quite enough, make 3X3 your default instead – 3 groups of 3. This is especially useful when working on a larger-scale project, like a book outline. I've noticed that a lot of my favourite books are structured this way, with 3 sections each containing 3 chapters.

This is not a random coincidence. Communicating in 3s works!

3️⃣ The power of 3 in action!

It's fair to say that the power of 3 has become part of my personal brand. I use it all the time when I'm creating content for podcast episodes, articles, workshops, and courses. My clients and workshop participants like to tease me: "Of course it's 3!"

One of my favourite examples of the power of 3 in action is my simple 3-step framework for introducing yourself.