The Rule of Three

The Rule of Three is this: “If something happens once it is an occurrence, if it happens twice it is a coincidence, and if the same thing happens three times it is a pattern.”

The Rule of the Three is a behavioral tool and model that I have become more and more familiar with over the past few months. It is simple and succinct. Yet underlying that simplicity is an extremely profound revelation that is brimming with truth.

It applies to every aspect of life from the simplest individual behavior to the most entrenched societal norms. I like to employ it when speaking with young people in terms of their actions in life. It is a great starting point for them to see how they are acting from a totally new perspective.

If each of us looks back and thinks about the things we have done or are doing in our lives, the veracity of The Rule of Three can be striking.

I can definitely find this pattern in my own life. I know that probably most, if not all, people could see how this rule impacts their own lives.

Spend some time thinking about how and when The Rule of Three comes into play in your own life. It might just change some behavior you needed to lose anyway.