Use Friction to Your Advantage

Imagine you’re sitting at a conference table waiting for a meeting to start.  

In the centre of the table there are two bowls. One is filled with salty, crisp, potato chips. The other has rich, decadent, chocolate.  

Which do you choose? The salty snack? Or decadent chocolate? 

According to research, you would choose the bowl that is closest to you. Not your preference.  

It seems bizarre, but studies have shown that people are less inclined to do anything if there is friction - the requirement of additional time, distance or effort.  

This is true when it comes to tackling major tasks at work or starting a gym routine. It’s also true when deciding among snack options.  

It is not necessarily because we’re lazy. We just naturally don’t often want to put in extra effort, even if it will help us reach a personal goal. 

This is not great news when it comes to achieving goals. Goals require us to put in additional time, distance and/or effort. There is a lot of friction. 

Of course, we all know there are things we can do to help us overcome our natural tendency to avoid friction. Choosing a gym near home makes it easier to attend. Or buying a large water bottle helps us stay hydrated without having to take the extra time to keep refilling.  

The problem is that these habits require us to work against our natural inclination to avoid friction.  

Alternatively, you could allow friction to work for you.  

In one study, researchers showed that slowing down elevator doors prompted people to take the stairs. 

This worked for me recently. I was visiting a hotel and the elevators were so slow. I would wait for a while and then, in frustration, I would choose to take the stairs. In this case, taking the four flights of stairs to my room created less friction than the annoyance of waiting for the elevator.  

Creating friction also helps me achieve tasks I don’t want to do. Deep cleaning my house is a perfect example. I don’t like this job and I often avoid it. Yet, it’s amazing how quickly I start cleaning when I have a stack of paperwork on my “to do” list. Cleaning doesn’t look so daunting in comparison. In this case, pairing a task with something I really don’t want to do helps me get it done.  

Friction is also helpful when I want to avoid something, like eating a lot of sugary snacks. Not having it in the house is a simple solution. It is unlikely I’m going to drive to the store to satisfy a craving. So, simply not having it available helps me avoid it. 

There are many ways you can make friction work for you.  

You just need to figure out how. 

As a challenge this week, consider areas of your life that you find challenging, areas where you would like a little more motivation or focus. Maybe it’s becoming healthier. Maybe it’s getting a passion project or a work project off the ground. Think about ways you can use friction to help you achieve these goals.  

Try starting small. Usually, minor roadblocks are all it takes. And then let friction work for you. 

Best wishes, Lauren