In episode 105, “How to Crave Good Habits”, we discuss Clear’s second law: Make it Attractive. If you’re wanting your new, good habit to stick, it must be attractive to you and your personality. We continue our book study mini series over James Clear’s Atomic Habits. Learn how to start good habits and get rid of bad ones in these episodes. We discuss how small changes will make big impacts on how we live our lives.
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Make it attractive
Did you know that when we perform a habit, our brains get a shot of dopamine? This means that our brain is rewarding us when we go through the motions of our routines. Another fun fact: even just the anticipation of doing a habit can be more rewarding than the actual habit itself. That’s why journaling about your habits, creating a vision board about your habits, or even day dreaming about your habits is beneficial.
Put in the effort to make your new habit attractive. We go through many examples of how this can look in your life in episode 105, so be sure to check that out. Learn what the terms “temptation bundling” and “habit stacking” are, and how they will help set you up for success when developing your new habit. We give you sentence stems and phrases you can use that will help you have a positive experience.
How People Influence Your Habits
Research shows that people will influence you, bottom line. According to Clear, humans are influenced by three categories of people: the close (family/friends), the many (the tribe), and the powerful (status/prestige). To some level, all of these pockets of people have a hand in what we do. This is why it’s important to surround yourself by positive people who share common goals and lifestyles.
Time for a circle audit! Check the people you’re surrounding yourself. Who are you letting speak into you? What social accounts are you watching? Does that align with your morals, beliefs, and goals? Get the right people in your life as soon as you can.
If you’re in a situation you cannot get out of, add a group of people who can rally behind you and lift you up when you need it. Build better habits by joining a culture where that’s what’s happening and you have something in common. If you cannot physically get with these people, turn to technology to connect. We go over several practical examples of how this can look in your life.
Make it Unattractive
As in each of the laws, the reverse is true. To make an unwanted habit go away, you must make said habit unattractive. Identify the cause of what is the bad habit and why you’re doing it. Really take the time to dig in and discover the root of the issue. If you’re a smoker, you know that smoking is horrible for you; so why do it? If overeating is the issue, you know that isn’t healthy. This simple act can start
Once you’ve done this, it’s time to have a mindset shift. Reframe your mind and thought process to help break the bad habits. Are you bored or hungry? Can you shift from pregame jitters to confident butterflies? It will help to focus on the reward and keep practicing this mindset shift as often as you can.
We hope you enjoyed “How to Crave Good Habits”, and that you have practical, actionable steps you can take. Be sure to check out this entire Atomic Habits mini series about an easy & proven way to build good habits & break bad ones. You can do this! We’re here to help. Click the affiliate image below to get your copy of Atomic Habits.
