Three Buckets and Match Day

Early in my career a professional coach visited my place of employment to share some simple, yet hugely helpful tools to assist the staff in maintaining productivity while the organization navigated some typical organizational turmoil. That’s when I learned about the Three Buckets of Control. Who knew that a simple tool and fresh perspective could not only alleviate immediate stress and help me increase my productivity, it would become one of my “go to” models for managing change in my personal life and one of my favorite tools I share with my clients in my own coaching practice several years later.

So what is the “Three Buckets” tool?

In its simplest form, the three buckets tool is a way of mentally categorizing the different situations and tasks faced in a given day. 

Once you are aware of the contents in each bucket you have the option of determining which bucket you are going to focus on and how you will divide and spend your energy.  If you aren’t mindful, bucket #3, that which you have no control over, can easily capture your attention resulting in feelings of powerlessness and anxiety. 

Allow me to demonstrate how I use the three buckets in light of some change I’m currently facing … 

For anyone who has walked with a family member or close friend through the process of becoming a physician, you’re aware of the ever important “MATCH DAY”. The day near the end of medical school when you receive a letter which tells you where the next three to seven years of your medical training will take place. For those not familiar with The Match, I’ve heard it described similarly to Greek life – you rank which fraternity (or residency program) you want to join, the fraternity (residency program) ranks the candidates they want, but in the end a computer uses an algorithm to determine which residency program you will attend.  As the wife of a fourth year medical student my life is intrinsically tied up in The Match and I am fully aware that change is a coming. Here’s where the three buckets come into use.  The match is typically a pretty stressful time for medical students and their families, and for people like myself who like love to plan, it’s even more annoying. I’ll admit that there have been days when I’ve fixated on the fact that I don’t know where in the country I will be living in the next three months but the reality is that if I want to thrive during this time of waiting for the impending change I need to consciously choose where I will focus my energy. 

Bucket #3: I have no control over the ultimate match – we’re moving to where we match. I have no control over when we find out - I have to wait until March 20th just like every other medical student in the country. 

Bucket #2: I have influence over our rank list. David and I have had many conversations on the pros and cons of the residency programs where he was invited to interview. Together we visited the different cities and discussed what would be best for his career and our family.  

Bucket #1: Most importantly I have control over my attitude, how I spend my energy in the meantime, and what I think about the various potential places we could be moving. 

Consciously considering the contents of each bucket, I can then focus the majority of my attention on bucket #1. I have chosen to find a positive about every location we might end up; of course I have my favorites but given that I don’t have control over the ultimate match, I am equipping myself with the positive no matter where we match.  I have also decided to not fret away the ways till match. I have identified a number of projects that I want to work with my extra time, since once we match my time will probably be sucked up with packing and moving across the country. Change is rarely easy, especially when you have little or no control over the ultimate change. Using the three buckets tool doesn’t eliminate the question marks in my future, but it does reduce anxiety and help increase my productivity in the process.