A domino is a flat rectangular block, usually of wood or another rigid material, with one to six pips (or dots) on each end. A set of 28 such dominoes makes a complete domino set. People use dominoes to play games where the goal is to knock over other pieces in long lines or angular patterns. The pieces are also sometimes called bones, tiles, cards, men, or stones. Some children like to stack the dominoes on their end and then knock them over, and adults often prefer to line them up in rows.

A well-known theory of behavior is the Domino Effect, which states that if you change one habit, other habits will be affected as a result. This is why many people find that once they start making their beds each day, for example, it doesn’t take very long before they begin putting away dirty clothes, doing the dishes, and reorganizing Tupperware. It’s almost as though making the bed is a small domino that triggers a chain reaction.

The same idea can be applied to personal goals and tasks. When you pick the right “dominoes,” they can help you achieve much more than you would have expected. To do this, you need to look for the tasks that have a high impact on other areas of your life. In other words, good dominoes are usually hard to accomplish and require a lot of time and energy. They will also have a positive effect on other aspects of your life.

For example, when Hevesh begins a domino installation, she first makes test versions of each section. This allows her to make adjustments before assembling the final design. She then builds the largest 3-D sections of an installation first, followed by flat arrangements and lines of dominoes connecting the sections. She says she follows a version of the engineering-design process, which starts with an overall theme or purpose for the installation and then brainstorms images that go with it.

She then creates a blueprint for the entire project and decides which dominoes she will need to buy. Depending on the size of an installation, she may need to order thousands of dominoes. She uses a domino layout software to help her plan and visualize the overall design.

Once she has the dominoes, she sets them up in a large room, which is sometimes known as her domino cave. Then she tests them out to see how they will work. She films the tests in slow motion to be sure she gets it right. She also tries to recreate some of the more complex designs from memory.

Once she is confident that her dominoes will work, Hevesh begins building the final piece of each installation. Her finished creations are often mind-blowing. She says she has to keep a lot of patience, but the process is worth it for her. She also says that she finds it very relaxing to do.