Nudging and Gaming: A New Green Best Practice?

Could we be "nudged" into better, more sustainable practices that help the environment? The post, Is a 'nudge' in the right direction all we need to be greener ? says so. Citing subliminal and visual cues accompanied by policy nudges, the post states, "Whether we're conscious of them or not, nudges -- of a sort -- are all around us. From the rumble strip along motorways -- gently encouraging motorists to remain in the correct lane -- to rows of brightly colored candy wrappers, less subtly inviting us to pick them up and place them in our shopping cart...Just imagine if your surroundings were arranged to help you make better decisions to achieve your goals."

Within our sustainability consulting practice we ask, how can we build personal support systems that "nudge" us towards our sustainability goals in our personal lives. What might that look like?

One way is through fun and games. We've blogged about Why Green is Fun and the post, Don’t hate the player: How fun and games can encourage sustainable choices shares great videos on how making eco actions like picking up litter and taking the stairs can be fun and help us to make more sustainable choices.

While these are great examples of our external world helping us to "do the right thing," what about taking responsibility for our choices on a personal level?

As we share in our personal sustainability programs, an entry point to explore personal sustainability is to look at our habits. What are your habits telling you? Habits are routines of behavior that are repeated regularly and tend to occur subconsciously, without one's directly thinking consciously about them. In the world of sustainability, this unconscious display of habits is a fertile ground of opportunity offering low hanging fruit for eco action. Discovering hidden treasures in your daily habits begins by becoming conscious of your routines as well as your approach to the actions you take. Look for clues in your life. What is in your garbage? Do you leave the water on while brushing your teeth? Idle the car? Pay bills by mail? Explore options available to you to replace traditional habits with those of eco actions.

What green nudges can you create for yourself? How can you create fun games for yourself to inspire sustainable choices?