She immersed herself in principles set forth by all manner of experts, from Epicurus to Thoreau to Oprah to Martin Seligman to the Dalai Lama, to see what worked for her – and what didn’t. Over the course of one year, Gretchen dedicated each month to a different area of her life in which she wanted to boost her happiness level. In the pursuit of happiness, Gretchen decided to test-drive the wisdom of the ages, current scientific research, and lessons from popular culture about how to be happier. Wondered if tips from self-help books on how to be happier work? Well, the only way to find out is to try them yourself. Whenever you read this, and wherever you are, you are in the right place to begin.” I hope that reading the account of my happiness project will encourage you to start your own. I find greater value in what specific individuals tell me worked for them than in any other kind of argument – and that’s true even when we seem to have nothing in common. ĭuring my study of happiness, I noticed something that surprised me: I often learn more from one person’s highly idiosyncratic experiences than I do from sources that detail universal principles or cite up-to-date studies. Your project would look different from mine, but it’s the rare person who can’t benefit from a happiness project. This book is the story of my happiness project – what I tried, what I learned. Then comes the interesting part: keeping your resolutions. Second is the making of resolutions, when you identify the concrete actions that will boost your happiness. First is the preparation stage, when you identify what brings you joy, satisfaction, and engagement, and also what brings you guilt, anger, boredom, and remorse.

“A “happiness project” is an approach to changing your life. In her books, she draws from cutting-edge science, the wisdom of the ages, lessons from popular culture, and her own experiences to explore how we can make our lives happier, healthier, more productive, and more creative. Her book The Happiness Project has sold more than one million copies, been published in more than thirty languages, and spent more than two years on the New York Times bestseller list, including at #1. She’s the author of many books, including the blockbuster New York Times bestsellers, The Four Tendencies and Better Than Before. She’s been interviewed by Oprah, eaten dinner with Daniel Kahneman, walked arm-in-arm with the Dalai Lama, had her work written up in a medical journal, been the subject of a “The Talk of the Town” piece in The New Yorker magazine, and been an answer on the game show Jeopardy!

Gretchen Rubin is one of today’s most influential and thought-provoking observers of happiness and human nature. Or, Why I Spent a Year Trying to Sing in the Morning, Clean My Closets, Fight Right, Read Aristotle, and Generally Have More Fun

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