The Power of Three

I’ve long been a fan of the number three. As a child, when I learned to count, instead of using my fingers, my mother taught me to use objects. The same way we played “I Spy” on all those road trips. It’s also the Holy Trinity. All those years of Catholic School. It’s hard to forget.

What makes the power of 3?

Three is the smallest number required to make a pattern. It’s not a new concept; rather, one that’s been practiced for a long time:

• Science and Newton’s three rules of motion

• Music’s three-note building blocks of harmony

• Art’s principles of compositions

The pattern of the three works is short, memorable, and powerful. As a writer, three words work in today’s 140-character world, too. It’s a structural choice as much as it’s a stylish one. It also deploys the Socratic method, using three questions that relate to each other.

When I apply this thinking to thought leadership messaging, I try to think: If I were one of their potential prospects or clients, what messages would stick? What are the right three words?

Life. Is. Good. Life is Good
Real. Comfortable. Jeans. Wrangler
Snap. Crackle. Pop. Rice Krispies
It Gives You Wings! Red Bull
Just Do It. Nike
Think Different. Apple
Imagination at Work. GE

Being succinct is not easy. We live in a world where our attention spans are short, and distractions abound. Taking the time and space to express in three words and convey a value proposition, in other words, restraint, and rhythm.

Who perfected restraint and rhythm in writing? Dr. Seuss.

Don’t give up. I believe in you all. A person’s a person, no matter how small.” Horton Hears a Who.