Blog 8: Atomic Habits – Law 2: Make It Attractive
📍 Previously on this habit-building journey...
Still wondering how to start a habit that sticks?
Learn the secret behind cues and how they silently shape your life.
👉 Read Blog 7: Make It Obvious – Habit Cue
📖 Why read this?
Because motivation alone isn't enough — attraction is the hidden fuel.
This blog shows you how to design your habits so they start pulling you in.
🎯 Why do we want some habits and avoid others?
It all boils down to attractiveness.
We’re naturally drawn to things that feel good. The more appealing a habit is, the more likely it is to stick.
James Clear, in Atomic Habits, explains this using the 2nd Law of Behavior Change: Make It Attractive.
Let’s decode how to actually use this principle 👇
🔗 Technique 1: Temptation Bundling
Pair a habit you need to do with a habit you want to do.
Problem: You want to practice DSA daily, but it feels boring.
Solution: Pair it with something enjoyable.
“Only play your favorite playlist when you start your coding IDE.”
This trick is called temptation bundling — combining something productive with something pleasurable.
📙 Result: You start craving the routine instead of resisting it.
🧠 Technique 2: Join a High-Dopamine Circle
We become the average of the habits we see around us.
We imitate 3 kinds of people:
- The close – friends and family
- The many – social trends and norms
- The powerful – role models and influencers
So if your friend group celebrates building projects, you'll eventually follow their vibe.
Parents aren’t wrong when they say: “Stay away from that boy.”
Behavior is contagious — both the good and the bad.
📙 Result: Habits feel less like discipline, more like culture.
🔁 Technique 3: Use Others’ Dopamine as Your Cue
Borrow excitement from people around you.
If your roommate screams with joy while playing Free Fire every night at 7 PM, make that your signal to open your Leetcode tab.
You don’t wait for your own motivation — you ride theirs.
📙 Result: You create a habit cue using real-world energy.
💡 Summary: Make It Attractive
| Technique |
Strategy |
| Temptation Bundling |
Pair your habit with something enjoyable |
| High-Dopamine Circle |
Surround yourself with people who normalize your target habit |
| Dopamine Cue Hijack |
Use others’ excitement to trigger your routine |
🕊️ Closing Whispers
When dopamine learns where to go,
The habits flow like steady snow.
Design the craving, feed the mind,
And transformation trails behind.
📘 Up Next: Blog 9 – “Make It Easy”
We’ll explore how to make new habits so simple, they’re hard to skip.
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