The power of three

Three has been my favourite number since I was a girl; I liked the curves.

Three is the number of items I can remember before I have to look back at my list.

Three is what I count to when I need my boys to get their shoes on fast.

Three is the right number of steps to put into a process model if you want it to spread around an organisation by word of mouth.

Three is the smallest number of items that create a pattern.

The ‘rule of three’ makes jokes funny and writing satisfying to read.

Stop, look, listen

Ready, set, go

Blood, sweat and tears

Three is the number of times Goldilocks tries the porridge before it is just right; the number of ordeals a prince is put through before he wins the princess; a symbol in stories of the stages we need to go through to make a change.