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The Happiness Project

by Gretchen Rubin (Goodreads Author)

3.54 · rating details · 13,703 ratings · 2,905 reviews

Gretchen Rubin had an epiphany one rainy afternoon in the unlikeliest of places: a city bus. "The days are long, but the years are short," she realized. "Time is passing, and I'm not focusing enough on the things that really matter." In that moment, she decided to dedicate a year to her happiness project.

In this lively and compelling account of that ye

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Hardcover, 301 pages

Published December 29th 2009 by Harper (first published January 1st 2009)

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Lists with This Book

Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver

The Year of Magical Thinking by Joan Didion

The Year of Living Biblically by A.J. Jacobs

A Year in the Life

3rd out of 73 books — 55 voters

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2nd out of 131 books — 17 voters

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Community Reviews

(showing 1-30 of 34,141)

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Sep 02, 2010

Bells rated it

Shelves: memo-auto-bio

Author Gretchen Rubin dives into the stunt genre (where the author does something for a year and then writes a clever book about it) with a project on living happy for a year. Sitting on the bus one day, she realizes her life is zipping along and wonders if she can't make her days happier, and write a book about it and make some money. She devises a plan for happiness, reading all sorts of books on happiness, from a wide variety of authors.

I would have liked to have been more enthusi...more

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Dec 31, 2010

Michele Chapman rated it

I couldn't finish it. In fact, I couldn't get past page 49, and that really hurt, because I BOUGHT this book in HARDBACK. Sigh. And I wanted to like it, I swear, but it just wasn't happening for me.

I picked this book up because I have an interest in how others achieve happiness, enjoy getting a glimpse into how others conduct their lives on a daily basis (I even find grocery selections interesting, and what goes into them), and have gotten a kick out of several stunt journalism pr...more

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May 20, 2011

Kate rated it

· review of another edition

Recommends it for: Anyone who is looking to make personal change

Shelves: memoir, nonfiction

Wow, when did I become so cynical and not even realize it?

Just like Julia from Julie and Julia: 365 Days, 524 Recipes, 1 Tiny Apartment Kitchen I too am in danger of becoming nothing but a secretary on a road to nowhere, drifting toward frosted hair and menthol addiction.

However, this book helped me get out of my funk and become more creative. I didn't want to review this book until I tried my own "happiness project" because to be honest I was very sceptical a...moreWow, when did I become so cynical and not even realize it?

Just like Julia from Julie and Julia: 365 Days, 524 Recipes, 1 Tiny Apartment Kitchen I too am in danger of becoming nothing but a secretary on a road to nowhere, drifting toward frosted hair and menthol addiction.

However, this book helped me get out of my funk and become more creative. I didn't want to review this book until I tried my own "happiness project" because to be honest I was very sceptical about the results.

So, my personal journey to getting back on track to being happier started in the LGA airport in the Hudson News Bookstore. I was traveling back to Chicago after visiting family in Long Island and Conneticut for Easter. My plane was delayed and I had finished my other book I had brought with. So, being bored and knowing I was going to sit there for a while, I purused the books at Hudson News. This is the one that spoke to me and I started reading it in the airport.

Most of the information isn't anything spectcular and it's all stuff that I already knew, but obviously I needed to hear it again for the millionth time, before it finally sunk in. I wasn't happy because I wasn't making time for the one thing that really makes me happy...writing every day.

So, I decided to start my own project. The first thing I did was clear the clutter out of my apartment. Not only did this make packing tons easier for my move to my new home, but it also lifted a mental weight that too much stuff can have over you and you'll not even realize it. This was a good first step for me. The stuff I didn't have use for I gave away or donated in hopes that someone else who does need it can.

The second step was making more room for creativity every single day. I am really good at making time to read (since I have an hour commute via train) but I wasn't showing up at the page everyday to write and that really soured my mood. So, I started a journal where I would write just a sentence every single day, even when I didn't want to, and you know what? Because I showed up and made the time for creativity, I started writing more than a sentence. I was writing paragraphs, and then pages. That made me really happy and for the first time in a long time I realized, I can do this!

The third and final step (and the one that's still a work in progress for me) is spending money on unnecessary things. I became addicted to internet shopping. It's really easy to do. I would just log on to some of my favorite sites: Etsy, Sephora, Groupon, Amazon and could order in an instant anything I wanted via my credit card. Pretty soon, I was in debt, and I had massive amounts of unnused products, books, and other things I didn't need. So, I stopped spending on the internet all together and bought only the things I absolutely needed like food and began to use up the things I had lying around. This made me feel happier, however, it's still hard for me to go into a store and say, "yes, this is a really good deal, but I don't need it." I'm slowly getting better at this and practice does make perfect.

Like Gretchen, I too just wanted to share my thoughts on this subject, and hopefully inspire others, not to do the same things I've done, but to find their own passion that will make them happier every day and grateful for the little things that we tend to overlook.(less)

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Apr 15, 2010

sleeps9hours rated it

This was an inspiring book in some ways, but also annoying. The author admits that she is part of a new trend in books in which the author takes a year for self improvement. I liked that she seems fairly normal and doesn’t escape her regular routine to make some changes. Over time the book dragged though. I was quite impressed with the plethora of quotes throughout (she collects them), and tons of little ideas and research results I found interesting. I had to get past the fact that her per...more

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Jun 05, 2010

Alea rated it

Shelves: read-for-review, bea10

I have no idea how to properly convey how I feel about this book. I felt so much for it and because of it and it's kind of crazy. I saw so much of myself in the author and some of the examples she explained, half the time I was sitting there dumbstruck. She breaks down her resolutions in such a way it's very easy to follow along and she is so specific in how they work out you really can't ask for much more.

Rubin writes in a way that it was very easy for me to relate to and understand...more

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Dec 08, 2009

Jamie rated it

Shelves: first-reads

I won this advance copy book through the Goodreads Giveaway and could not have been more stoked! I am always creating lists and goals and things to improve my life. I feel like books, songs, movies always have a way of finding me when I need them most. I just quit my job because I was way too miserable and I have been home for the past few weeks feeling extremely unhappy and like my life was just miserable. This book was just the inspiration to want to change my situation and bring about more ha...moreI won this advance copy book through the Goodreads Giveaway and could not have been more stoked! I am always creating lists and goals and things to improve my life. I feel like books, songs, movies always have a way of finding me when I need them most. I just quit my job because I was way too miserable and I have been home for the past few weeks feeling extremely unhappy and like my life was just miserable. This book was just the inspiration to want to change my situation and bring about more happiness into my life.

While I am an adventurous soul and loved reading memoirs by people who go do extreme things to find themselves and change their lives (ie Eat, Pray, Love). This is not a luxury I have and I liked Rubin's idea of not wanting to reject her life but wanting to "change her life without changing my life, by finding more happiness in my own kitchen." I want to be happy here and now in my own life. Sure, I would love to go gallivanting off to other parts of the world to find myself and make myself happier but that is just not a reality and I'm just not sure it would teach me how to live my normal life.

I loved the questions that the author asked of happiness and how she approached what happiness is and if she believed it was possible to make herself happier. I liked that she was honest about really being a happy person in general and admitting that her life has been pretty easy..no dramatic stories to tell of some terrible misfortune, etc. She just wanted to see if she could bring more general happiness into her life and, if did disaster did strike, would it be an enduring and embedded type of happiness that would help her through something.

I absolutely loved the setup of each section. It went month by month. She talked about each of the resolutions she made for that month and talked about her struggles and successes. She was often times humorous and also very observant. I loved the research she did pertaining to happiness and how she used these ideas to figure out ways to her own happiness. I like how she emphasizes that everybody's happiness project would look very unique. Different things make different people happy. I didn't always agree with some of her conclusions with her own resolutions but I appreciated the research she did and that it was HER happiness project with HER own results.

I'm always skeptical of "self help" type things or 25 ways to happiness deals. I don't think there is a formula to happiness or peace or success. That is what I liked about Gretchen's book. She wasn't trying to say.."HERE! Here is the exact method by which you will be happy!" Rather, she was showing you her journey and the project that she thought would best elevate her OWN happiness. I was certainly inspired by her happiness project and I am planning on starting my own in January 2010.

The author has a blog too that is chocked full of great advice and if you go back far enough it shows her journey throughout the happiness project. The blog really shows her actually going through with it. The book is the outcome and the reflection. I actually emailed her to get her resolution chart to see if it's something that might work for me or if I should create my own. She is extremely gracious and incredibly enthusiastic about inspiring and motivating other people to their own elevated happiness.

I'd definitely recommend this book if you are finding yourself increasingly unhappy..or if you are a happy person wondering if you can be happier.(less)

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Jul 05, 2011

Laura rated it

Shelves: self-help

I don’t know which is stranger – that people like this book, or that it was written in the first place. It came into being because Gretchen Rubin, a woman with a bizarrely charmed life, decided to spend a year devoting each month to a “theme” designed to make herself happier and then write a book about it. The whole thing smacks not only of a calculated stunt, but also of the sort of “list” approach she used for her breathtakingly trite book on Churchill. Regardless, any reasonable person would ...moreI don’t know which is stranger – that people like this book, or that it was written in the first place. It came into being because Gretchen Rubin, a woman with a bizarrely charmed life, decided to spend a year devoting each month to a “theme” designed to make herself happier and then write a book about it. The whole thing smacks not only of a calculated stunt, but also of the sort of “list” approach she used for her breathtakingly trite book on Churchill. Regardless, any reasonable person would wonder why this woman was worrying about how to be “happier” than she already was with her “soul mate” husband, two healthy children, a family she likes, in-laws* she likes, plenty of free time, and money coming out the wazoo. The obvious question is: “If she wants to be happier, why doesn’t she do more service?” The question you’ll also probably ask, repeatedly, is “What could a smug perfectionist with an easy life possibly teach me?” Honestly, I have no idea, unless it hasn’t already occurred to you to.....are you sitting down?.....stash your crap in file boxes instead of leaving it strewn all over, and stop nagging your husband. Other previously unmined gems of insight: “You can’t change others,” “Exercise makes you feel better,” “Be friendly,” “Do things you like to do,” “Be grateful,” and, my personal favorite, “Money can buy happiness.”

Even better, every ten sentences or so she inserts – not to be confused with “works in” – a quotation that sounds like the first entry in its category from The Big Book of Quotations. Based on the self-congratulatory tone she doesn’t quite have the skill to avoid, I’d guess she’s deeply invested in showing she is Educated, and has Done Research. I think you’re also supposed to surmise she’s really smart, based on the number of references to editing the Yale Law Review or clerking for a Supreme Court Justice. What she never mentions, yet you can also surmise, is the fact that money is no object. Neither is time.

While being rich and leisured doesn’t disqualify her from having wisdom, it does place her situation in context. She’s not struggling to find happiness amidst real trials – illness, poverty, loneliness, relatives who drive you bonkers – she just wants to be “happier.” What’s amazing is that with all her research, she doesn’t come up with anything profound. At best, her paper-thin “insights” are merely summaries of other people’s research. And yet, inexplicably, a couple of women in my book group actually liked it! These women don’t sit around wondering if they’re happy enough – they probably wonder if they’re faithful enough and doing enough good in the world. So what did they find valuable?? A couple of them said that the organization chapter prompted them to clean out closets, which is always good, but there are at least a hundred books on de-cluttering that were written by people who were already aware of file boxes. (I know this because my sister has bought all those books and occasionally gives them away as presents, unless you’re really lucky and she just throws your stuff out without being asked.) So the organization chapter struck me as a bit silly. But not as silly as turning to Nietzsche for tips on happiness. And I think that indicates the biggest flaw – her approach is entirely secular. Joy and fulfillment (a bit deeper and more lasting than “happiness”) come through doing good and, eventually, becoming good. Every now and then she stumbles as if by accident upon versions of the Golden Rule Lite, but, naturally, in her eyes the point of being nice to others is to make herself happier.

*Father-in-law is Robert Rubin, Clinton’s Assistant to the President for Economic Policy. He later served on Citigroup’s board as Senior Counselor. During his eight years at Citigroup, shareholders suffered losses of more than 70%; Rubin earned over $126 million.
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Aug 03, 2010

Erin rated it

Shelves: memoir, how-to

Inspiring! Loved it! Totally want to start my Happiness Project. Gretchen Rubin, happily married mother of 2, had a realization while sitting on a bus that she was letting her life pass her by without fully appreciating it. Being a writer, she decided to research the origins, psychology and elements of happiness and develop her own Happiness Project, a 12-month experiment (each month around a theme like "love", "work" "energy", etc) with carefully measured goals...moreInspiring! Loved it! Totally want to start my Happiness Project. Gretchen Rubin, happily married mother of 2, had a realization while sitting on a bus that she was letting her life pass her by without fully appreciating it. Being a writer, she decided to research the origins, psychology and elements of happiness and develop her own Happiness Project, a 12-month experiment (each month around a theme like "love", "work" "energy", etc) with carefully measured goals and resolutions to see if she could be a happier person, better wife, better mother, better woman. I enjoy self-help stuff when it doesn't sound too preachy, and Rubin finds a really nice tone to her book that made it compelling, human, not preachy, and honestly kind of charming. She is pretty honest and open about when things worked and when things didn't quite, the fact that she can be kind of a pill (I can relate!) when things don't go her way, and how one month built on the previous. I think most people can relate to wanting to do new year's resolutions, but never holding on to them, and she counters that by using her resolution chart and holding herself accountable. I think what I liked most about it was that she had to learn to "Stay Gretchen" (some things work for others and not for you, and that's ok), and that she wanted to change her life without changing her life (she couldn't move to Africa, for example, but wanted to make small, manageable changes she could keep the rest of her life.) That spoke to me--I don't know that I'll stay where I am forever, but I think I'll be where I am at least for another year, and want to know that I've really started to pay attention to where I am right now and made a few positive changes. Grow a little!

She is quite honest about how this could sound self-absorbed or self-indulgent, but she disagrees in general and believes (backing that up with research) that happier people are more productive, more generous, more thoughtful, etc. I'm definitely intrigued and inspired to plan my own Happiness Project.

More info on her blog here: http://www.happiness-project.com/(less)

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Sep 20, 2011

Rachel Rustin rated it

I can't remember how I stumbled across The Happiness Project, but I'm glad I did. I'm guessing somewhere in the hype of all these one-year personal goal memoirs. Gretchen Rubin's is a little more self-help than the others in this genre I've read recently, but I found it a pleasant read. Rubin spends the year working to become a happier person by making twelve broad goals and specific resolutions to go along with each one. Her montly items of focus include things like "Boost Energy" and...more

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Dec 29, 2011

Lori rated it

Shelves: books-i-own, read-in-2010, read-in-2011

I really liked this book because there were a lot of traits I ascribe to myself that I saw in Gretchen and her writing. I was especially able to relate to her love of reading and how that affects the rest of her life. This book provided me with the inspiration and the determination to plan out a happiness project of my own, a lot of which focuses on better living habits, not necessarily happiness. However, I'm going to make myself sleep on it before I dive into planning. I think it takes qui...more

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Jul 29, 2011

Elyse rated it

I'm only reading this because our book club picked it for our 'non-fiction' month ---I'm bored stiff--but I'll finish it. (we read non-fiction every other month) Most of the time we choose better books to read.

I have now finished this book....and I was wrong! I laughed --smiled ---and have respect for the author for the difference she is making with "The Happiness Project".

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Dec 29, 2011

Tasha rated it

Shelves: didn-t-finish, a-year-of

All the navel-gazing of "Eat, Pray, Love" with none of the interesting commentary provided by other characters. Gretchen is the only actual being in her world; everyone else, including her husband and children, is merely a mirror reflecting who she thinks she should appear to be. I'm convinced that the author wants to be happy only because someone else told her she should.

I'm all for fluff reading, but this took it to a new level. The chapter on cleaning her closets (yes, an...more

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Feb 10, 2012

Kirstin rated it

Shelves: non-fiction, cordera-book-group

I was surprised at how much I liked this book. Generally speaking I don’t really enjoy reading “self-help” type books. I also am kind of over what the author of this book calls “stunt non-fiction method journalism” where an author does something for a year and then writes a book about it (The Year of Living Biblically, Animal Vegetable Miracle, The Wilder Life, etc.). Too often it seems the authors of these types of books get more focused on writing a book about their project than actually doing...more

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Jan 30, 2012

Christina rated it

Shelves: 2012-christina, kindle

You would think this book might be a bit redundant (after all, how many authors out there are conducting one year experiments?, I've lost count), but this book is noteworthy for several reasons. For one, I would re-name this book "The Be More Purposeful About My Life" project. The author sets out a series of goals, supposedly leading to happiness, but I think they are more about life improvement and character development. Some of her goals are great ideas, some of which I might impl...more

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Jan 15, 2012

Sherry Wert rated it

Shelves: nonfiction

Gretchen Rubin is another author who joins the fad of undertaking a cute project for a year, but she is totally without the charm of A. J. Jacobs or even Julie Powell. I kept hoping for something, anything, that would make me root for her. She did seem to try to be self-deprecating, but she clearly has no practice at it. This is a woman who is full of herself, and has no sense of how fortunate she is. The only likeable person here is Gretchen's husband, and she treats him so poorly that I want t...more

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Jan 09, 2012

leah rated it

I really enjoyed this book. I picked it up at a whim while at someone else's house. The idea of being happy is one I keep coming back to, and I really enjoyed Gretchen's willingness to pursue happiness. I also thought it was very smart of her to list her resolutions by month and have concrete actions she could make a "check" mark next to when she accomplished something.

This is one of those books where a lot of the discoveries seem mundane because they're things you already ...more

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Jan 09, 2012

Kris rated it

· review of another edition

Overall, I think there are some good ideas here, and following her through her year of schedules and plans is actually interesting. I appreciate that she doesn't shy away from the truth (admitting to setbacks, failures, and even bringing to light less-admirable personality traits). That being said, I think this book is really a study of her and her stage of life/personality. And since I don't know her, I find it hard to connect or care (and that is also why I didn't like the blog responses. ...more

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Dec 13, 2011

Jennifer rated it

Ok, so the writing quality in this book didn't knock my socks off. It was clear that the author had done a fair bit of research, both psychological and philosophical on the topic of happiness, but other than the insertion of direct quotes from noted philosophers or psychologists, there really isn't much extra to be gained from her personal text. Furthermore, much of the book is composed of comments and or emails Rubin received from others on the topic of happiness and some just seemed like spac...more

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Dec 05, 2011

Susan L. Greig rated it

I've read many similar books and some of the inforamtion was inspiring or perhaps not inspiring but reminders of things I've done in the past and let slip. Perhaps the best point I took was an affirmation from one of the readers of her blog and that is make computer passwords based on what is going on in her life--this has been my practice for a number of years and I've found it a great way to focus on something that I'm working on.

I do think Gretchen has a point about the differen...more

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Dec 04, 2011

Laura Hancock rated it

Maybe I'll change it to five stars some day. For now, it's a four-star book. (Although, part of me wants to buy a copy -- I borrowed it from the library -- so I can have all the ideas close at hand.)

To me, Gretchen Rubin is an admirable, over-achieving big sister: I want to be more like her, then part of me realizes I'lll never be like her and so I hate her. Just a little.

The Yale law school graduate/former Sandra Day O'Connor law clerk/best-selling author/upper East Side Ma...moreMaybe I'll change it to five stars some day. For now, it's a four-star book. (Although, part of me wants to buy a copy -- I borrowed it from the library -- so I can have all the ideas close at hand.)

To me, Gretchen Rubin is an admirable, over-achieving big sister: I want to be more like her, then part of me realizes I'lll never be like her and so I hate her. Just a little.

The Yale law school graduate/former Sandra Day O'Connor law clerk/best-selling author/upper East Side Manhattan resident/wife of investment banker/daughter-in-law of a former U.S. Secretary of Treasury/mother who has a nanny and housekeeper decided she wanted to maximize happiness in her life.

She wan't unhappy but she wasn't as happy as she knew she could be. (By the way, half of these details are not disclosed in the book. I had to read a New York Times story to fully appreciate what kind of privileged life she lived. She insists the incredible fortune in her life helped create some happiness but doesn't make it impossible for someone living in an apartment in the Bronx from being as happy or happier than her.)

Rubin she did an admirable amount of research about all types of topics that contribute toward happiness -- finances, health, family and relationships, and various fun activities.

Each month, she focused on one topic with large and small goals associated with the topic. For instance, in February, she focused on her marriage. She tried not to nag at her husband, not to keep a running total on who has done more for the kids, to send "proofs of love," which were short emails updating him on cute things the kids did that day while he was at work. She planned a special birthday party for her mother-in-law on behalf of her husband, his siblings and father. To be honest, I was underwhelmed by husband's level of appreciation for most of her February efforts. But she said that by the end of the year, he had started doing household tasks without her asking him first.

I learned there are two kinds of fun. Watching a movie or reading a book, which requires little-to-no effort, is sort of an immediate source of fun. A more challenging fun activity, which could be an art project or learning a song on the piano, feels less fun but is more rewarding over the long-term. So to be happy, you need both kinds of fun in your life.

She also encourages people to start activities they thought were fun as kids. For her, she started a children's literature group. She also got back into rag-a-tag scrapbooking. I don't know what my children's activity is, but honestly, I do a lot of the same stuff I did as a kid -- piano, writing, reading, laughing my guts off with friends, etc.

Another thing I learned from Rubin is the value of cleaning and organizing. In January, she organized a few closets in her house. She has a mantra that I have adopted that goes something like this -- If it takes a while to find it, it's time to clean up. So true! I'm a lot happier and at peace after I reorganize. I always thought I was the type of person who didn't care about being super clean. And I still think I'm that way. But organizing and cleaning up occasionally does have it's upsides, too.

She created an elaborate chart outlining various goals and mini-goals for each month -- which apparently we can mimic on a website she launched for others who want to start happiness projects. I did not visit that website, although I'm a "fan" of Rubin on a Facebook page that regularly takes me to another website, where there are plenty of videos and articles on happiness.

So I would say I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It's so practical and common-sense, but the foundation is rooted in contemporary happiness research.... and the best part is that I didn't have to do the research! And, of course, psychology research gets outdated over time, but hopefully she'll keep up her various websites to keep me in the know.

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Nov 04, 2011

Alexys rated it

As a person with a limited amount of free time on her hands, and not exactly the biggest fan of this new "stunt genre," I had to admit that this was worth the ticket price.

As a doctor, I see a lot of people who seem not happy with their lives, from my patients to my peers even to myself and my family. The reasons are multifactorial, from health to money to relationships to that intangible "I don't know what" factor.

I really liked this book because it s...more

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Oct 31, 2011

Kalie Lyn rated it

There are a number of memoirs about “finding happiness”. Whether it’s “finding happiness” after a divorce and travelling the world or travelling the world to find which countries are the “happiest”, they all seem to revolve around the same concept of the author picking up everything and leaving their comfort zone for the search of a better well-being. While The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin copies the same “happiness” idea, it does stand out from its counterparts.

I enjoyed The ...moreThere are a number of memoirs about “finding happiness”. Whether it’s “finding happiness” after a divorce and travelling the world or travelling the world to find which countries are the “happiest”, they all seem to revolve around the same concept of the author picking up everything and leaving their comfort zone for the search of a better well-being. While The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin copies the same “happiness” idea, it does stand out from its counterparts.

I enjoyed The Happiness Project due to the fact that Rubin didn’t uproot her life and move away to find her difference in mood. Instead, she stayed put in her New York dwelling with her husband and two daughters, and tried to make a difference in her life from her current location. She changed her habits, not her place and that gave her memoir its own uniqueness.

The different “resolutions” she made herself commit to each month ranged from ‘singing in the morning’ to ‘writing a novel in a month’. Her goals seemed realistic and they were simple things she could do among her normal daily duties. The fact that she sometimes faltered from her “resolutions” made her and her “project” all the more relatable.

While Gretchen Rubin showed the good side to her personality, she wasn’t shy to hide her bad side. From arguing with her husband to yelling at her daughter to ‘wait a minute’ when she was supposed to be “singing in the morning”, readers could connect with Rubin on a more personal level as both a parent and spouse.

Yes, Gretchen Rubin said at the end of her year-long “Happiness Project” that she was indeed “happier” and personally, I agree with her that she reached some level of being “happier”. However, I don’t feel that she changed her entire life with just a year of simple “resolutions”, I think that she just made her life “easier”.

All in all, I thoroughly enjoyed reading The Happiness Project. It made me think of what I could do to boost MY mood and make MY life a little more “easier”. Gretchen Rubin created a great template for everyone who is also looking to bring more happiness in their lives.

Check out my full review on my blog at: http://palmtreesbarefeet.wordpress.com/2...(less)

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Oct 23, 2011

Laura rated it

This book is gimmicky and I wouldn't recommend it to everyone I know, but I really enjoyed about 75% of it. Basically, it's a one-year stunt book. The author, who is happily married with two kids and has a good freelance career, wants to be happier--or at least remember to recognize that she is happy so that she is not so snappy and negative. Yes, it's not the most lofty of goals, but it's one that I think many could benefit from. It's easy to forget that life is good in the face of everyday irr...more

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Oct 10, 2011

nicole rated it

Shelves: 2011

Like Gretchen, I'm not unhappy. I have a job in the field I love, am with a man that I adore, surrounded by wonderful family and friends, have great health and a roof over my head. But I don't appreciate this apparent happiness either -- I'm easily annoyed, have a tendency to focus on the negative and can be sort of bitchy. The day before I started reading this book, I learned that someone I know had something amazing happen to them. I listened to the whole story and then was like, OF COURS...more
Like Gretchen, I'm not unhappy. I have a job in the field I love, am with a man that I adore, surrounded by wonderful family and friends, have great health and a roof over my head. But I don't appreciate this apparent happiness either -- I'm easily annoyed, have a tendency to focus on the negative and can be sort of bitchy. The day before I started reading this book, I learned that someone I know had something amazing happen to them. I listened to the whole story and then was like, OF COURSE, THINGS LIKE THIS ALWAYS HAPPEN TO THAT PERSON. Did I get excited for them even though it was really great news? No. Well, that just wasn't going to cut it any more. Something had to give.

And this book was so inspirational for making that change happen. The first thing Rubin did was tackle her physical space. She's really big on getting to the root of the problem as quickly as possible. What is the problem? I started this book on a Sunday and before the end of the first chapter, I started jumping in to rearrange areas of my own life. For me the first question was -- why is my room a mess? Because I don't put my things away. Why don't I put my things away? Because there really isn't anywhere to put them. On that day -- the first day I started reading -- I began cleaning out my filing and medicine cabinets. The next day, I threw out years (YEARS) of expired medicine. Result: I was able to put away all of the piles of paperwork, cards, clipped articles and other crap that had been collecting in that space. The next day, I sat down and wrote a long, sappy e-mail to a friend of mine who'd been advocating this sort of internal cleaning house project for me for a long time. It felt fantastic, like I was looking at a paragraph written in a foreign language and understanding it for the first time. And it was soooooo easy to implement these small changes.

While I love the practical components like that, the most important thing I took from the book was just thinking of happiness, period. It's something that you have to be mindful of and cultivate. For the past year, I've had such awful job insecurity that thinking about anything beyond my next bill was out of the question. I would spend a lot of time focusing on things I didn't have, external items, that really were besides the point. For example, while reading this book, I was selling old items on eBay to save for an iPad. Along the way, I came across an Orla Kiely bag I bought during one of the lower periods in my life. I was working a job I hated and had lusted for this bag -- I worked so hard to save for it, and here it was, beneath my bed with a thousand other things I'd wasted my money on. So I stopped saving for the iPad and started using this bag instead. And I felt lighter, hand to god. Sometimes it really is as simple as wanting what you have.

It felt like everything I touched while reading this book had a dab of serendipity to it. During my first few days with this book, an exciting professional development opportunity opened up. I'm still waiting to hear back but I'm remaining optimistic. It's like watching the clouds part for the sun on a day you didn't realize was overcast. And then the New York Times ran this great article on character growth in education. To me, happiness is a character trait as necessary as honesty and integrity. It's part of having true grit -- to be able to see the world as it really is, but to maintain that sort of inner calm that can allow you to navigate through difficult situations with a bit more ease.

Highly recommend it -- although you can skip the blog comments interspersed throughout.(less)

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Sep 16, 2011

Angie rated it

Lately, I have been reading a lot of books centered on a one year project. The author takes on a project and mindfully does it for one year. Topics have included: living biblically, not buying anything made in China, or following all of Oprah’s advice. This book centered on being happy. I found it to be an interesting concept.

Rubin takes on this with a singular focus. She researches the idea of happiness through literature, ancient texts and modern studies. She lays out ...moreLately, I have been reading a lot of books centered on a one year project. The author takes on a project and mindfully does it for one year. Topics have included: living biblically, not buying anything made in China, or following all of Oprah’s advice. This book centered on being happy. I found it to be an interesting concept.

Rubin takes on this with a singular focus. She researches the idea of happiness through literature, ancient texts and modern studies. She lays out a series of commandments that will guide the project overall. Then she designates a theme for each month and a set of resolutions under that theme. I found both the process and her individual resolutions to be inspiring.

In particular, one of her commandments really caught my attention. It was “Be Gretchen”. The idea behind this is that we should actually be who we are instead of who we wish to be or think we should be. I definitely fall into this trap. I have an entire shelf of projects that I think I should do or think I would really enjoy: learn to make cheese, learn to calligraphy, 2 years of calendars and the picture frames I should use to frame them, or stacks of articles featuring amazing arts and crafts projects. Here’s the fact of the matter: I don’t like arts and crafts and I don’t have the patience to teach myself a new skill. I download jazz because smart, educated people like jazz. I never listen to it. I put documentaries in my Netflix queue, receive it, let it sit on the counter for a month and then send it back. Rubin’s point is why? This is not you. Pursuing all these projects is taking away time from doing what really fulfills you. What a liberating concept!

I highly recommend this book. I originally borrowed the book from the library, but now I am going to buy it and keep it on the shelf as a reference and source of ongoing inspiration. Rubin also has a website where she provides weekly resolutions and guidance so you can do your own Happiness Project.

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Sep 10, 2011

Colleen rated it

Shelves: nonfiction, project

First, it’s not a self-help book. This is a Ben Franklin-inspired project taken on by a woman who wants to increase her overall well-being in small daily ways (rather than a major life change). The book chronicles her project to tackle 12 issues (one a month for a year) that she wants to change/improve to see if she can increase daily contentedness. I think the idea is great, and importantly, she notes that her 12 things are specific to her and may not apply to anyone else. Overall, she’s d...more

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Aug 20, 2011

Joëlle Anthony rated it

This was a great read. Not just useful ideas, but I was really drawn in. I'm going to create my own happiness project as a result of reading it. I'll use some of her ideas and some of my own. I like that she did so much research because honestly, I'm kind of lazy in that respect and she passed on some great tidbits. Probably everyone thinks, "Oh, me and Gretchen are so much alike!" I think that too about certain things, but not everything.

A funny thing happened while reading ...moreThis was a great read. Not just useful ideas, but I was really drawn in. I'm going to create my own happiness project as a result of reading it. I'll use some of her ideas and some of my own. I like that she did so much research because honestly, I'm kind of lazy in that respect and she passed on some great tidbits. Probably everyone thinks, "Oh, me and Gretchen are so much alike!" I think that too about certain things, but not everything.

A funny thing happened while reading it though. I make almost everything we eat from scratch. I buy ingredients at the store, not ready-made anything. Sometimes, when we're hungry, we joke that there's nothing to eat but ingredients. So to read about her diet almost killed me! Especially the Diet Coke, but also, well...most of it. Even after she gives up fake food, I was like, "How can she say that and still drink Diet Coke and eat candy?" What happened to me at that moment was twofold. First, I realized what a food snob I am (I already had an inkling of this anyway) and I really need to reign myself in on that one. And the other was I hit on the exact solution to something I've been debating with friends and family for a while. People think I should go into catering and private parties as a side thing...nothing commercial, but just for some extra money. But I don't really want to because cooking is my release from my writing novels job. Anyway, when I was busy cringing over Gretchen's food choices, it reminded me of how when I see people loading their grocery carts with food like that, I want to say, "Look...let's put that stuff back, and I'll come to your house and teach you how to make it from scratch, for cheaper and it will be way better for you." And that's when it hit me...Instead of catering, I can teach small cooking workshops. I already have a cooking student, so I know I can do it it. So...long story short, I think this book will help the reader recognize themselves, and possibly find solutions! I'm already working on workshop ideas, less than 24 hours later!(less)

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Aug 13, 2011

Audra rated it

I'm glad I stuck it out and finished this book. I felt Rubin was trying to oversimplify her process in the beginning and I started to think this was an even more elementary version of The Secret. She seemed like another privileged white American talking about how to appreciate the millions of privileges and joys in her life. I put it down for a few days and picked up again, just in time for her to get to the meat of her project. Her process of creating a list of twelve commandments and another l...more

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Aug 11, 2011

Barky rated it

Shelves: self-discovery, self-help, autobiography-memoir, nonfiction, happiness, spirituality, families, relationships, relationship-problems, borrowed-from-the-library

Gretchen Rubin is a freelance writer by trade, and one day she asked herself what she was doing with her life and whether or not she was happy. She determined that she could probably be happier and set about constructing a plan to increase happiness over the course of a year. She made a list and a Resolutions Chart and assigned a month for each resolution. Since her resolutions were ongoing, she not only had a focus resolution, but also had to keep up with any resolutions she’d made pre...more

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Jul 25, 2011

Tryn rated it

Shelves: inspiration, parenting, self-improvement, writing, marriage

This book, a gift from a dear friend, inspires me to think about what will make me happier and challenges some of the notions I’ve had about my own happiness. For example, the author reports that happiness studies show that everyone, whether introvert or extrovert, is happier after spending time with other people. I’ve always felt that I needed more solitude to find happiness, but this book asserts the opposite. She also says that getting anger and annoyance off your chest by expressing them ...more

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About Gretchen Rubin

Gretchen Rubin is the author of THE HAPPINESS PROJECT (forthcoming Harper 2009)— an account of the year she spent test-driving every conceivable principle about how to be happy, from Aristotle to Ben Franklin to Oprah to Martin Seligman. On her popular blog, The Happiness Project, she reports on her daily adventures on her way to becoming happier.

Among other things, since she started h...more

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Forty Ways to Look at Winston Churchill: A Brief Account of a Long Life

The Happiness Project One Sentence Journal: A Five Year Record

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Quotes from The Happiness Project

“The belief that unhappiness is selfless and happiness is selfish is misguided. It's more selfless to act happy. It takes energy, generosity, and discipline to be unfailingly lighthearted, yet everyone takes the happy person for granted. No one is careful of his feelings or tries to keep his spirits high. He seems self-sufficient; he becomes a cushion for others. And because happiness seems unforced, that person usually gets no credit.” — 55 people liked it

“Laughter is more than just a pleasurable activity...When people laugh together, they tend to talk and touch more and to make eye contact more frequently.” — 42 people liked it

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