The Domino Effect
How Small Steps Make Big Changes
A single domino can knock over another, 50% bigger, as was proved in a test conducted in 1983 by physicist Lorne Whitehead at the University of British Columbia. This was an easy, eye-catching demonstration of exponential growth, like a nuclear chain reaction. This simple but dramatic experiment showed that a small force could start a huge amount of energy in a chain reaction. Whitehead's discovery is not just a physical reality, but also a wonderful metaphor for the power of doing great things in life by starting small.
The little domino here, only 10 millimeters tall, is started by a soft touch of a cotton. This first domino then causes another domino 50% larger, and so on. By the time the 13th domino knocks the 13th, it is 64 times larger than the first domino. As the process goes on, the energy required to make the first stone move becomes billions of times greater when the last stone is knocked over.
Domino Effects in Our Lives
Domino effect or chain reaction is the additive effect caused by a single event that triggers a chain of similar events. We can see the same thing in our everyday life. A small daily habit can have a significant impact later in life. Tiny habits such as waking up early, reading one page a day from a book, or learning something new can be powerful in determining our careers, relationships, and personal development in the long run. A slight change in one behavior will have a cascade effect and change other connected behaviors. That is, small and systematic movements lead to bigger and larger consequences.
Even though it may seem at first like nothing, the first action you take could create the start of a major success at the end of the domino row. That's why never look down on the role of small steps towards your goal. In the same manner as the force of the domino effect, these small actions will ultimately manifest in much greater results.
You can view the impressive experiment by Stephen Morris and the world record broken in the Netherlands in 2009 in the video.
References: Lorne Whitehead (1983) “Domino – chain reaction’’ American Journal of Physics, Vol. 51, page 182
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