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GretchenRubin
I'm a writer working on The Happiness Project, in which I spend a year test-driving all advice--from Aristotle to Oprah--on how to be happy.
Recent Activity
Resolution: Cross a Finish Line.
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A common happiness hurdle is the arrival fallacy. We think that we'll be happy once we arrive at some destination: a new job, a new apartment, a promotion, whatever. But often, arriving doesn't make us as happy as we expect.... Continue reading
Posted Apr 20, 2012 at The Happiness Project
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"People Are Happier When They're Adding Positive Energy To Their Networks."
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Happiness interview: Reid Hoffman. Years ago, when I was just starting to blog, one of the first people I met from blogland was Ben Casnocha, who wrote a great blog about entrepreneurship, books, and ideas, and who was still in... Continue reading
Posted Apr 19, 2012 at The Happiness Project
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What's Your Ten-Point Manifesto?
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Every Wednesday is Tip Day, or List Day, or Quiz Day. This Wednesday: Lists of manifestos. I love a good manifesto. I love Bob Sutton's manifesto about work, and Madame X's manifesto about money, and Frank Lloyd Wright's manifesto for... Continue reading
Posted Apr 18, 2012 at The Happiness Project
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What's Your "Pigeon of Discontent"? Please Say!
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Each week this year, I'm posting a video about some Pigeon of Discontent that a reader has raised in the comments. Because, as much as we try to find the Bluebird of Happiness, we're also plagued by the Pigeons of... Continue reading
Posted Apr 16, 2012 at The Happiness Project
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"Change, By Not Trying To Change."
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Further Secrets of Adulthood: * A writerly friend told me to check out Gwenda Bond's blog, on "books, writing, and etcetera," and I've spent waaay to much time there. * Are you reading The Happiness Project in your book group?... Continue reading
Posted Apr 14, 2012 at The Happiness Project
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Today's Resolution: Feel Grateful for the Basics.
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For the last few days, I've been struggling with a very unstable computer (yes, this is apparently a technical term). It seems to be behaving itself now, and I am so happy! I take my word-processer, my email, and my... Continue reading
Posted Apr 13, 2012 at The Happiness Project
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"When I Feel Stuck or Stumped, I Go For a Stroll."
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Happiness interview: Jonah Lehrer. I'm a huge fan of Jonah Lehrer's work—and there's a lot of it, because he's insanely prolific—and I'm tremendously interested in the subjects he covers both in his books and in his writings for periodicals like... Continue reading
Posted Apr 12, 2012 at The Happiness Project
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Pigeon of Discontent:"I Don't Know How I Want My Home To Look."
2012 Happiness Challenge: For those of you following the 2012 Happiness Project Challenge, to make 2012 a happier year—and even if you haven’t officially signed up for the challenge—welcome! Each week, I post a video about some Pigeon of Discontent... Continue reading
Posted Apr 10, 2012 at The Happiness Project
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How To Clear Clutter and Be More Festive, In One Stroke.
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Yesterday, I scored a rare victory: I hit on a solution that allowed me to satisfy several resolutions, all meant to make my home more homey, in one stroke. I was able to: Clear clutter Make life more festive, and... Continue reading
Posted Apr 9, 2012 at The Happiness Project
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Secret of Adulthood: Succeed By Failing.
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Further Secrets of Adulthood: * Want a copy of my comic, “Gretchen Rubin and the Quest for a Passion”? Email me at [email protected] Continue reading
Posted Apr 9, 2012 at The Happiness Project
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"At Last. Something Real."
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"When something real is about to happen to you, you go toward it with a transparent surface parallel to your own front that hums and bisects both your ears, making eyes very alert. The light bends toward chalky blue. Your... Continue reading
Posted Apr 8, 2012 at The Happiness Project
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Find a "Comfort Food" for Your Mind.
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One common happiness question is: How do you give yourself a boost? If you're feeling anxious, blue, angry, scared, what can you do to soothe yourself? A few days ago, I posted 5 myths for fighting the blues. Okay, those... Continue reading
Posted Apr 6, 2012 at The Happiness Project
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"I Used to Think That Cheery, Regularly Happy People Were Too 'Lite'..."
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Happiness interview: Danielle LaPorte. I heard about Danielle LaPorte several years ago, when I read a Domino magazine article about her work. I found her ideas so interesting that I got in touch with her, and over the years, I've... Continue reading
Posted Apr 5, 2012 at The Happiness Project
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Happiness...at the United Nations.
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*** Aargh! I just realized that I forgot to post this. Well, here it is, a few days late. *** I spent part of my day over at the United Nations, at a conference on "Wellbeing and Happiness: Defining a... Continue reading
Posted Apr 5, 2012 at The Happiness Project
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Five Myths About Fighting the Blues.
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Every Wednesday is Tip Day. This Wednesday: 5 myths about fighting the blues. We all have a few tricks for beating the blues—things we do when we’re feeling down. It turns out, however, that several popular strategies don’t actually work... Continue reading
Posted Apr 4, 2012 at The Happiness Project
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"How Can I Make My Morning Easier?"
2012 Happiness Challenge: For those of you following the 2012 Happiness Project Challenge, to make 2012 a happier year—and even if you haven’t officially signed up for the challenge—welcome! Each week, I post a video about some Pigeon of Discontent... Continue reading
Posted Apr 3, 2012 at The Happiness Project
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To Do: Take a Vacation.
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Good-bye! I'm off for a week's vacation. Do you ever feel as if it's more work to take a holiday than it would be just to stay home in your usual routine? I'm in that stage right now, but I... Continue reading
Posted Mar 26, 2012 at The Happiness Project
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"There Are In Fact Very Few Activities Which Cannot Be Classed Either As Work Or Play."
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“But what is work and what is not work? Is it work to dig, to carpenter, to plant trees, to fell trees, to ride, to fish, to hunt, to feed chickens, to play the piano, to take photographs, to build... Continue reading
Posted Mar 24, 2012 at The Happiness Project
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"Take Yourself Less Seriously—and Take Yourself More Seriously."
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Further Secrets of Adulthood: Continue reading
Posted Mar 23, 2012 at The Happiness Project
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On the To-Do List: Watch for Moments of Transcendence.
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In books, movies, plays, television, my favorite scenes are often moments of transcendence—when, in the muddle of existence, characters somehow manage to break through everything to engage with each other, and with higher values. Just off the top of my... Continue reading
Posted Mar 23, 2012 at The Happiness Project
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"I Feel Thankful for Trials That Have Helped Me See Perspective."
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Happiness interview: Stephanie Nielson. Years ago, when I started out out as a blogger, I heard about a popular blog by Stephanie Nielson called the The NieNie Dialogues. Then in 2008, the sad news swept through blogland that Stephanie been... Continue reading
Posted Mar 22, 2012 at The Happiness Project
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Overwhelmed? 9 Quick Tips for Keeping Your Home Feeling Serene and Organized.
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Every Wednesday is Tip Day. Feeling overwhelmed? Nine tips for keeping your home feeling serene and organized. Because of the subject of my next book, Happier at Home, I've been spending a lot of time thinking about—you guessed it!—how to... Continue reading
Posted Mar 21, 2012 at The Happiness Project
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"I Put Off Making Difficult Phone Calls."
2012 Happiness Challenge: For those of you following the 2012 Happiness Project Challenge, to make 2012 a happier year -- and even if you haven’t officially signed up for the challenge -- welcome! Each week, I post a video about... Continue reading
Posted Mar 20, 2012 at The Happiness Project
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"Spend Out, To Become Rich."
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Further Secrets of Adulthood, this one related to my somewhat cryptic Personal Commandment to Spend out: Continue reading
Posted Mar 19, 2012 at The Happiness Project
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The Galley of "Happier At Home" Arrived!
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Yesterday, I got a box full of the galleys of Happier at Home. (For you non-publishing industry folk, a galley is a pre-publication, preview copy of a book.) This should be a thrilling moment, and it was thrilling, but at... Continue reading
Posted Mar 18, 2012 at The Happiness Project
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