When it comes to wishes it seems that three is the magic number. It appears to be the number that resonates and appears in books, movies, websites and even the name of shops and restaurants.

But is three enough? We often hear children talk of making their last wish to be granted more wishes. On the face of it, that seems like an obvious yet brilliant idea. But how many wishes would we want? Another three? Ten? A never ending number?

Well three may be too many!

In “Motivation and Personality”, Abraham Maslow sets out his theories on the Hierarchy of Needs. This theory has credence, not least because it helps understand our behaviours and responses in everyday life. It can explain why the privileged and wealthy can be miserable and why the unfortunate and poor can seem fulfilled and calm.

The theory proposes a number of layers of a pyramid of human needs. Lower down the pyramid are the physiological, safety and social needs. The top two tiers are where things get really interesting.

The fourth tier (second from the top in the pyramid) is “esteem” -both self-esteem and the respect of others. We generally build both our self-esteem and respect through our values that are visible through our actions and our achievements. We also generally value achievements more if they have come through effort or sacrifice.

At the top of the pyramid is “self-actualisation”. In Maslow’s explanation, this is the need for us to achieve our full potential as human beings, making the most of our potential, our talents, our skills and abilities.

When considering the effort required to achieve any goal, part of the motivation is the sense of achievement we anticipate at the end. The completion of tasks feels good. To hit targets gives satisfaction. Often, the harder it has been to get there, the happy we are to arrive.

If you are setting yourself targets, make them challenging. Make them things that you need to work for. Sometimes it’s okay to take a shortcut but don’t destroy your own sense of achievement.

And be careful what you wish for.