Tuesday, February 5th, 2008
The Habit of Piling On
When I want to change something in my life (get more organized, lose weight, be more productive, etc), I tend to pile on. Take the example of getting more organized. I set my mind to working towards this goal, and I want the house perfect, the menu planned, my desk cleaned off, and the dishes washed, the bed made, the clothes clean and folded, the bathroom clean, the floors swept and mopped (or vacuumed), the bookshelves organized, and the plants watered–all the time.
When I set out with the goal of immediate perfection, my motivation lasts a grand total of 5 minutes. The to-do list that results from this goal of immediate perfection is what I call piling on.
The Rule of 3
The rule of 3 is an escape from the insanity of piling on. You see, when you want to change something, you apply the rule of 3, and set 3 manageable goals. You put all your energy towards achieving those goals before you add more. Adding goals 3 at a time will slowly and steadily get you to your final goal.
Back to the organization goal, I could apply the rule of 3 by working towards having the dishes washed every night, keeping my desk clear, and making the bed daily.
Create lasting success
The real value of the rule of 3 is in creating lasting success as you build habit upon habit and routine upon routine. When your habits and routines combine together, you will find that you have reached your goal without crashing and burning.
Next time you want to change your life, try the rule of 3.
Tags: Personal Development
February 7th, 2008 at 3:20 pm
Sunny - I know what it feels like to get all excited about some grand vision and then just as quickly, become overwhelmed trying to achieve it all at once. Thanks for the reminder to slow down and take it one step at a time.
February 12th, 2008 at 12:05 pm
I’ve been thinking about this more, and in nature when something changes quickly, it often becomes a disaster–think hurricanes, tornadoes, earthquakes, etc. Beauty can come out of the disaster (Mountains were formed by earthquakes and floods) but it takes a while to recover from the destruction and chaos that was created. In nature, most changes are small and gradual (an acorn doesn’t become an mighty oak overnight).
Life models nature.
September 19th, 2008 at 11:58 am
Sunny, I linked to this entry from your entry for today, and WOW. I love this. I can’t believe I’ve never thought of this before. 3 is my favorite number, and I love everything it symbolizes. I can’t believe I’ve never thought to apply it to my life in this way. Wow. Thank you for this.
September 19th, 2008 at 1:14 pm
Three is a nice number isn’t it. Not too overwhelming, small and simple. You can do this Amy!