Gretchen Rubin's Blog, page 272

Make One SMALL Resolution -- and Stick To It. Plus Videos!

I'm working on my Happiness Project, and you could have one, too! Everyone's project will look different, but it's the rare person who can't benefit. Join in -- no need to catch up, just jump in right now. Each Friday's post will help you think about your own happiness project.

Yes, it's that time again: time for New Year's resolutions. Whether you make lots of resolutions, or none, try this exercise. Make one little resolution – something you know you can do. Like what? Jump every day. Sing...

Make One SMALL Resolution -- and Stick To It.

I'm working on my Happiness Project, and you could have one, too! Everyone's project will look different, but it's the rare person who can't benefit. Join in -- no need to catch up, just jump in right now. Each Friday's post will help you think about your own happiness project.

Yes, it's that time again: time for New Year's resolutions. Whether you make lots of resolutions, or none, try this exercise. Make one little resolution – something you know you can do. Like what? Jump every day. Sing...

Why Is It Hard to Know What You Find Fun?

Why, I often wonder, is it so hard to Be Gretchen and to know what I find fun? I'd think that nothing would be more obvious to me than my own nature, but it's a constant challenge to be myself.

Other people have told me that they also find it difficult to identify what they like to do, for work and fun. And I've identified one reason for that.

Scientists, such as Daniel Gilbert in Stumbling on Happiness, point out that we're all more alike than we think. And that's true. But I think it's also...

More Tips about Making and Keeping New Year's Resolutions Than You Could Want.

Every Wednesday is Tip Day.

In 2009, the top three resolutions made by Americans were:

Did you make any of these resolutions on January 1, 2009? Did you keep them? Many people make and break the same resolution year after year. (To take just one example, I've made and broken the resolution to "Entertain more" for years. See below.) In fact...

I Just Can't Resist Posting About This.

Zoikes, it's true, the book is really out in the world! My father-in-law called to tell me he saw it in the window of Crawford Doyle, a neighborhood bookstore. I had to go take a photo. Can you spot it there? Many people have let me know that they've seen it or picked it up in their local bookstores.

And I'm thrilled -- and astonished -- that right now, The Happiness Project is #40 on the Amazon Top 100 Bestsellers list!

Thanks so much to everyone for your good wishes and enthusiasm -...

I'm Very Happy, Because Today My Book Hits the Shelves.

I can't believe that I'm writing these words, at last: today is the publication day for my book. As of today, it's out in the world, available for sale at bookstores near you. It seems like so long ago that I sat on that crowded bus, on a rainy afternoon, and wondered, "What do I really want from life? Well, I want to be happy." Then I admonished myself, "In that case, I really should start a happiness project." And I did.

In his book Happier, Tal Ben-Shahar describes the arrival fallacy...

Make 2010 a Happier Year. Decide Now.

It's the last week of 2009, and the new year begins on Friday – a great time to make some resolutions. About forty-four percent of Americans make New Year's resolutions; there's something about that fresh year stretching out in the future that makes it an auspicious time to attempt a change.

If you want a boost in keeping your resolutions, or you want some ideas for useful resolutions to try, please consider joining the 2010 Happiness Challenge, to make 2010 a happier year. (Many people will...

"Like a Boy Playing on the Seashore."

"I do not know what I may appear to the world, but to myself I seem to have been only like a boy playing on the seashore, and diverting myself in now and then finding a smoother pebble or prettier shell than ordinary, whilst the great ocean of truth lay all undiscovered before me."

* I'm very excited for my friend Therese Borchard -- her excellent book, Beyond Blue: Surviving Depression & Anxiety and Making the Most of Bad Genes, is about to hit the shelves. I met...

Ten Tips for an Emergency Energy Boost.

Every Wednesday is Tip Day.

When your energy level is low, everything feels like a chore -- even things would ordinarily make you happy. Holiday time can be draining, with lots of shopping, cooking, traveling, decorating, meeting, greeting, etc. to deal with. Or even if you're not doing these things, other people are, so something like a simple trip to the grocery store becomes a lot more difficult.

There are many things we should on a...

In Which I Have a Question for People in Happiness-Project Groups.

Several months ago, I began offering the starter-kit for people who wanted to start a group for people pursuing happiness projects together. Since then, more than 3,700 people have requested a starter kit! (Request yours here.)

I'm really curious to hear about how these groups are doing. If you're in a happiness-project group, I'd so appreciate it if you'd take a minute to post a comment.

I'd love to know the answer to questions like: how many people are in your group, and did you know each...