THE 2ND LAW "Make It Attractive"

How to Make a Habit Irresistible

The more attractive an opportunity is, the more likely it is to become habit-forming. 

If you want to increase the odds that a behavior will occur, then you need to make it attractive.

THE DOPAMINE-DRIVEN FEEDBACK LOOP 

Habits are a dopamine-driven feedback loop. Every behavior that is highly habit-forming—taking drugs, eating junk food, playing video games, browsing social media—is associated with higher levels of dopamine. The same can be said for our most basic habitual behaviors like eating food, drinking water, having sex, and interacting socially.

When it comes to habits, the key takeaway is this: dopamine is released not only when you experience pleasure, but also when you anticipate it. Gambling addicts have a dopamine spike right before they place a bet, not after they win. Cocaine addicts get a surge of dopamine when they see the powder, not after they take it. Whenever you predict that an opportunity will be rewarding, your levels of dopamine spike in anticipation. And whenever dopamine rises, so does your motivation to act.

It is the anticipation of a reward—not the fulfillment of it—that gets us to take action. 

Interestingly, the reward system that is activated in the brain when you receive a reward is the same system that is activated when you anticipate a reward. This is one reason the anticipation of an experience can often feel better than the attainment of it. As a child, thinking about Christmas morning can be better than opening the gifts. As an adult, daydreaming about an upcoming vacation can be more enjoyable than actually being on vacation. Scientists refer to this as the difference between “wanting” and “liking.”

THE DOPAMINE SPIKE 

Desire is the engine that drives behavior. Every action is taken because of the anticipation that precedes it. It is the craving that leads to the response.

We need to make our habits attractive because it is the expectation of a rewarding experience that motivates us to act in the first place. 

HOW TO USE TEMPTATION BUNDLING TO MAKE YOUR HABITS MORE ATTRACTIVE

Temptation bundling works by linking an action you want to do with an action you need to do.

You’re more likely to find a behavior attractive if you get to do one of your favorite things at the same time.

Temptation bundling is one way to apply a psychology theory known as Premack’s Principle. Named after the work of professor David Premack, the principle states that “more probable behaviors will reinforce less probable behaviors.” In other words, even if you don’t really want to process overdue work emails, you’ll become conditioned to do it if it means you get to do something you really want to do along the way.

You can even combine temptation bundling with the habit stacking strategy

The habit stacking + temptation bundling formula is:

1. After [CURRENT HABIT], I will [HABIT I NEED]. 

2. After [HABIT I NEED], I will [HABIT I WANT].

If you want to read the news, but you need to express more gratitude:

1. After I get my morning coffee, I will say one thing I’m grateful for that happened yesterday (need). 2. After I say one thing I’m grateful for, I will read the news (want).

If you want to watch sports, but you need to make sales calls: 

1. After I get back from my lunch break, I will call three potential clients (need). 

2. After I call three potential clients, I will check ESPN (want).

If you want to check Facebook, but you need to exercise more: 

1. After I pull out my phone, I will do ten burpees (need). 

2. After I do ten burpees, I will check Facebook (want).

Doing the thing you need to do means you get to do the thing you want to do.

Temptation bundling is one way to create a heightened version of any habit by connecting it with something you already want. Engineering a truly irresistible habit is a hard task, but this simple strategy can be employed to make nearly any habit more attractive than it would be otherwise.

Chapter Summary

• The 2nd Law of Behavior Change is make it attractive. 
• The more attractive an opportunity is, the more likely it is to become habit-forming.
• Habits are a dopamine-driven feedback loop. When dopamine rises, so does our motivation to act. 
• It is the anticipation of a reward—not the fulfillment of it—that gets us to take action. The greater the anticipation, the greater the dopamine spike. 
• Temptation bundling is one way to make your habits more attractive. The strategy is to pair an action you want to do with an action you need to do.