How do you make progress on reaching your goals while trying to upgrade your career, meet that deadline at work, have a social life, and get in some of the basics, like showering? Introducing the Power of 3.

I love the power of threes. In writing, a trio of events, characters, or concepts (see what I did there?) are more effective. We break up phone and social security numbers into bunches of twos and threes. Even survival is supported by a rule of threes: You can survive 3 minutes without air, 3 hours in extreme heat or cold, and 3 days without water.

Achieve More While Doing Less

You can remember and focus on three things when four might be too many. Naturally, this applies to meeting huge goals, as well.

Productivity expert Michael Hyatt introduced me to the Power of 3 in his Full Focus Planner, which helped me skyrocket my productivity and make massive progress on my own dreams.

Here’s how it works.

Step 1. Quarterly Big 3 – Goals

Once you’ve narrowed your priorities to your One Thing, which you can read about here, it’s time to utilize the Power of 3 to make massive progress on that vision. Step by step.

First step: break your vision into no more than 3 goals per quarter to actively implement. These are your Quarterly Big 3 Goals.

How do you choose them? Ask yourself:

What goals, when met, will propel you closer to your vision? Which goals, through your efforts, will stretch you into the person you’ll need to be to live your vision? And which will need to be completed before you can move to your next goals?

Those will be your Quarterly Big 3 Goals.

Embrace the power of constraint.

I know it might be hard for you over-achievers and doers reading this to limit your goals to three. But there’s no need to limit your planning to this quarter, high-performers!

You can plan out the goals you’ll tend in the coming quarters, too. Whenever you feel you should or want to do all the things, refer to your annual plan. Then, return your focus to your 3 big goals now.

The main reason you haven’t met any given goal yet is because you haven’t focused on it. 

Focus on just 3 goals – your implementation intentions – rather than act on every urge or chase every pretty, shiny object. This is the first Power of 3 in your Goal Achievement System to design the life you always wanted.

Weekly Big 3 – Outcomes

I’m a big believer in the magic of intention and attraction, but still. Some things benefit from taking action.

And then there’s life. It gets in the way. So how do you carve out time and create the discipline needed to achieve those 3 big goals each quarter?

Step 2: Each week, identify 3 objectives that will help you get closer to reaching your Quarterly Big 3. These are your Weekly Big 3 Outcomes.

Rather than a general theme, choose outcomes you’ll prioritize.

Rather than, “I need to learn everything about the new software system,” shift your focus to an outcome. “By the end of this week, I will be able to (fill in the blank with a real task you will use the software system for).”

That way, you won’t feel busy – or worse, overwhelmed – with the task of learning all the things. You’ll narrow the task to something measurable and you’ll be able to track your progress. You’ll know when you’re done.

Your Weekly Big 3 Outcomes might be tiny turtle steps or big bold actions. The goal-achieving trick is that there’s always movement and that movement is outcome-based.

Block time on your calendar to work toward these 3 outcomes, among your other appointments and tasks. If it’s not scheduled, it’s far less likely to get done.

Track and Recognize (aka be a cheerleader for yourself!)

One important element that can keep this goal-achieving train moving at full steam ahead is to review last week and look ahead to the next. 

Each week, sit yourself down for a Weekly Big 3 review. Inventory what you accomplished last week (instead of not giving yourself mental credit for all the work you did!) and use it to inform next week’s Big 3.

• What were your major accomplishments last week?
• What worked or didn’t work with your plan or tasks?
• Where will you stay the course? Where do you need to change something?
• What big deadlines or life to do’s are happening in the coming week
• And the big one: what are the Weekly Big 3 items you MUST accomplish this week to advance your goals or projects?

Daily Big 3 – Tasks

In order to stay hyper-focused on those 3 main goals, you’ll take the power of 3 one step further. Each day, you’ll undoubtedly have several tasks and meetings or appointments that must be done. And they all get lost in the whirlwind of the day.

Step 3. Identify your Daily Big 3 tasks that you absolutely must do during that day. These daily tasks can be simple, such as brainstorming or calling to make an appointment.  Whatever top three next steps are, they become your Daily Big 3 Tasks.

Use the Power of 3 for Your Career Goals

I know you have big career goals! As with any goal, you’ll need to take action to achieve it. So here’s how you can apply the Power of 3 to help you get to the next level of your career:

• First and foremost, identify your One Thing, your big dream
• Break it into goals 
• Focus on up to 3 of them each quarter – Your Quarterly Big 3
• Outline what it will take to achieve each goal
• Take Weekly Big 3 action every week on those goals
• Take Daily Big 3 action – small steps forward
• Review your week to keep you on track
• Reach your goals!

How to Conquer Those Goals…and Still Shower (Win Win)

Will you flawlessly execute each Weekly Big 3 or daily tasks every week with grace and ease? Probably not. Remember those demanding kids and desire to shower daily? 

I’m not an affiliate and you don’t need the Full Focus planner to benefit from the Power of 3. As long as you set the time aside to review your goals AND if you commit to taking action on your Weekly Big 3. 

Even tiny actions count! And that, my friend, is how you use the Power of 3 to reach those big goals among the chaos of real life.