Remove sharp turns from the path to your focus nook
This practical betterment assumes that you have already created a dedicated focus nook.
Casinos make money by getting people to focus in nooks. Specifically, they want people to focus on slot machines which make up most of their profit.
Casinos designers discovered people spend more time on slot machines that are grouped in clearly defined areas. Gamblers feel more comfortable in enclosed nooks. These nooks are defined by using different coloured carpets, decorated coves, lighting, and more.
Before a casino can empty a patron's pockets they need to get them on a slot machine in the first place. They use many tactics to get people on machines but for this Practical Betterment we'll just look at one.
Curved paths
Resort casinos pull tourists in for more than gambling — they have shows, spas, you can be married both by or to an Elvis — something for everyone.
However, the path to or from whatever non-gambling activity you desire is always through the casino floor.
The layout of the casino is designed to maximise your number of face-to-face encounters with slot machines and minimise any other decision making. One way casinos do this is by using curved paths and avoiding right-angle turns.
Here is a typical casino floorplan:
A right-angle turn requires more conscious effort to execute than a meandering curve. Curved paths can be mindlessly followed until a slot machine is reached.
As you meander through the casino along it's curved paths you are regularly faced with slot machine filled nooks inviting you to play.
A sudden change in a path forces you to think about your surroundings instead of having those decision making cues provided by the casino. Conscious thought and decision making could lead you to decide to do something other than gamble away your life savings.
Curved paths have even been used outside of the casino floor to increase foot traffic into the casino from the street. One designer found that "slightly curving the right angle of an entrance corridor" almost doubled the number of people entering from the street.
Applying this to your focus nook
A previous Practical Betterment looked at adding a lure to your focus nook. Once lured to your nook you would be more inclined to use it to complete difficult tasks.
Here we're using similar logic.
Assuming that at least some of the time you're wandering around your home — as aimlessly as a Vegas tourist exiting divorce proceedings both from and by an Elvis — you'll be susceptible to the same lack of right-angles.
By removing sharp turns on the way to your focus nook you'll be more likely to find yourself using it.
How to remove right angles to your focus nook
Your home is unfortunately, probably, mostly right angles. Presumably a curvy home would be harder to build and put up shelves in, push things up against the walls etc.
Additionally, not everyone owns their home, has the budget to do construction work, or has a big enough home to make significant decisions about its layout.
This means your options for removing right angles from the path to your focus nook is limited to these options:
- Placing your focus nook somewhere you don't need to take a right angle turn to get to. The end of a corridor or directly at the end of the path between your bed and a wall.
- Moving furniture that blocks the path to your nook
Could this actually make a difference?
Many of the ideas for these focus nook related practical betterments come from books about design. One of them particularly — Addiction by Design by Natasha Dow Schüll.
It's a study of slot machines and their relationship to the gamblers who use them. Schüll explores how the design of casinos, slot machines and their software are optimised to keep players in the "machine-zone" for as long as possible.
Casinos go to extraordinary lengths to keep people gambling— everything is designed — sounds, lights, even smells.
The gamblers Schüll interviews are regularly confronted by slot machines, gamble away everything, and even put their bodies through extremes to remain sat at the slots. Some of them remain on a slot machine for days.
I've come away from this book more convinced than ever that environment shapes behaviour and that trying to live a life counter to your environment is extremely hard. Some people can probably do it, but not me.
The richest, most awful people hire brilliant designers to extract your money and attention. These designers are really clever and they make the big bucks. We'd be fools not to try and use their tools to achieve goals that really matter to us.
Affiliate links for Addiction by Design by Natasha Dow Schüll
If it's not obvious, I really recommend this book, it's one of the best pieces of non-fiction I've ever read.
You can buy Addiction by Design using the links below.
If you buy something using these links I will get a small commission at no extra cost to you. One of the links is evil and the other is not.