How to Optimize Your Daily Decisions
You might assume that humans buy products because of what theyare, but the truth is that we often buy things because of where they are.For example, items on store shelves that are at eye level tend to be purchasedmore than items on less visible shelves.
In the best-selling book Nudge authorsRichard Thaler and Cass Sunstein explain a variety of ways that our everydaydecisions are shaped by the world around us. The effect that eye-level shelveshave on our purchase habits is just one example.
Here’s another:
The ends of aisles are money-making machines for retailers. According to datacited by the New York Times, 45 percent of Coca-Cola sales come specificallyfrom end-of-the-aisle racks.
Here’s why this is important:
Something has to go on the shelf ateye level. Something has to be placed on the rack at the end of theaisle. Something must be the default choice. Something must be theoption with the most visibility and prominence. This is true not just instores, but in nearly every area of our lives. There are default choices inyour office and in your car, in your kitchen and in your living room.
My argument is this:
If you optimize the default decisions inyour life, rather than accepting whatever is handed to you, then it will beeasier to live a better life.
Let’s talk about how to do that right now.
Designfor Default
Although most of us have the freedom tomake a wide range of choices at any given moment, we often make decisions basedon the environment we find ourselves in.
For example, if I wanted to do so, I coulddrink a beer as I write this article. However, I am currently sitting at mydesk with a glass of water next to me. There are no beers in sight. Although Ipossess the capability to get up, walk to my car, drive to the store, and buy abeer, I probably won’t because I surrounded by easier alternatives—namely,drinking water. In this case, taking a sip of water is the default decision,the easy decision.
Consider how your default decisions aredesigned throughout your personal and professional life. For example:
If you sleep with your phone next to your bed, then checkingsocial media and email as soon as you wake up is likely to be the defaultdecision.
If you walk into your living room and your couches and chairs allface the television, then watching television is likely to be the defaultdecision.
If you keep alcohol in your kitchen, then drinking consistently ismore likely to be the default decision.
Of course, defaults can be positive aswell.
If you keep a dumbbell next to your desk at work, then pumping outsome quick curls is more likely to be the default decision.
If you keep a water bottle with you throughout the day, thendrinking water rather than soda is more likely to be the default decision.
If you place floss in a visible location (like next to yourtoothbrush), then flossing is more likely to be the default decision.
Researchers have referred to the impactthat environmental defaults can have on our decision making as choiceliterature. It is important to realize that you can be the architect of yourchoices. You can design for default.
How to Optimize Your DefaultDecisions
Here are a few strategies I have founduseful when trying to design better default decisions into my life:
Simplicity. It is hard to focus onthe signal when you’re constantly surrounded by noise. It is more difficult toeat healthy when your kitchen is filled with junk food. It is more difficult tofocus on reading a blog post when you have 10 tabs open in your browser. It ismore difficult to accomplish your most important task when you fall into themyth of multitasking. When in doubt, eliminate options.
Visual Cues. In the supermarket,placing items on shelves at eye level makes them more visual and more likely tobe purchased. Outside of the supermarket, you can use visual cues like thePaper Clip Method or the Seinfield Strategy to create an environmentthat visually nudges your actions in the right direction.
Opt-Out vs. Opt-In. There is a famous organ donation study thatrevealed how multiple European ｃountries skyrocketed their organ donationrates: they required citizens to opt-out of donating rather than opt-in todonating. You can do something similar in your life by opting your future selfinto better habits ahead of time. For example, you could schedule your yogasession for next week while you are feeling motivated today. When your workoutrolls around, you have to justify opting-out rather than motivating yourself toopt-in.
Designing for default comes down to a verysimple premise: shift your environment so that the good behaviors areeasier and the bad behaviors are harder.
DesignedFor You vs. Designed By You
Default choices are not inherently bad,but the entire world was not designed with your goals in mind. In fact, manycompanies have goals that directly compete with yours (a food company may wantyou to buy their bag of chips, while you want to lose weight). For this reason,you should be wary of accepting every default as if it is supposed to bethe optimal choice.
I have found more success by living a lifethat I design rather than accepting the standard one that has been handed tome. Question everything. You need to alter, tweak, and shift yourenvironment until it matches what you want out of life.
Yes, the world around you shapes yourhabits and choices, but there is something important to realize: someone had toshape that world in the first place. Now, that someone can be you.
Article Source: http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/245684
Image Source: http://idealady.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/making-decisions.jpg
VOCABULARY WORDS:
1. Default(n.) ~ a preselected option
2. Prominence(n.) ~ the state of being famous
3. Nudge(n.) ~ a light touch or push
4. Opt-out(n.) ~ an instance of choosing not to participate in something
5. Premise(n.) ~ a previous statement or proposition from which another is inferred
6. Wary(adj.) ~ feeling or showing caution
7. Optimal(adj.) ~ best or most favorable
8. Tweak(v.) ~ to make small adjustments
QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION:
1. Doyou find it difficult to make simple everyday decisions? Why?
2. Whatare the things that affect your everyday decisions such as what clothes to wearand which product to choose?
3. Howdo these simple decisions affect your state of mind each day?
