Three Bucket Rule

You might have heard of the “bucket list” – the most important things you wish to do, see or achieve before you die!

But have you ever come across the “three bucket rule”? It identifies that all people have exactly the same number of hours in a week (168) and that these can be put into three 56-hour “buckets”: 56 hours of sleep, 56 hours of work and 56 hours for “everything else”. A simple but astonishing calculation!

But how do we divide up our buckets? Do you get 8 hours sleep 7 nights a week? Or, is your reality working in excess of 10 hours a day with a further two stuck in heavy commuter traffic? And, as for the “everything else” bucket? How does that look? Is it really personal time for you? or leisure time with family and friends? Or is it taken up with household jobs like shopping or mowing the lawn? With private errands such as visiting the hairdresser’s or dentist? Or just frittered away channel hopping in front of the TV?

Many busy people tend to lack balance during the year and try to fill the “everything else” bucket to overflowing at Christmas or during the summer holidays. But is this a good way to lead our lives? Perhaps equalising the buckets, and enjoying our free time on a day-to-day basis, would be healthier and more satisfying in the long term.

So, why not give it some thought and take a really hard look at how your buckets are filled? Perhaps one needs emptying a bit and another needs topping up? And most importantly, aim to claim back those 56 hours per week that actually belong to you and to use them in a meaningful way!