Want to launch your own happiness project? Follow the example of these three readers, and start a happiness blog yourself!

Zoikes, I can’t believe it. Three readers of the Happiness Project have started their own Happiness Project blog, Our Happiness Project, inspired by this one! This is unbelievably thrilling to me.

Last month, I finally realized that my true purpose with the Happiness Project isn’t just to work on my own happiness, but to persuade EVERYONE to start a happiness project. I want to be a happiness evangelist. This was always implicit in what I was doing, of course, but I hadn’t quite grasped it to make it an explicit goal.

Yes, genetics play an important role, and yes, I know about set-point theory, but I do believe that you can take steps that will boost your happiness – within the setting of your ordinary day.

Every person’s project will be different; that’s part of what makes happiness a fascinating subject.

And here’s the blog of people who are working on their own happiness project! I’ve added it to my RSS feed – I’m so eager to see what they post.

Starting that blog is a great strategy to boost happiness, for several reasons:

 By frequently writing and thinking about happiness goals, you keep those goals active and salient in your thoughts.

 Studies show that activities are more enjoyable when done with other people, and collaborating on a blog is a fun way to interact with others.

 You’re more likely to meet goals when you have concrete goals and a way to hold yourself accountable – like posting on a blog.

 Research shows that tackling new challenges – e.g., keeping a blog – boosts happiness. At least one of these bloggers has never had a blog before. For me, blogging was such a mystery that I felt an enormous rush from every little new thing I managed to do. I still remember the first time I figured out how to post an image.

 As the Second Splendid Truth holds, one of the best ways to make YOURSELF happy is to feel that you’re helping OTHER PEOPLE to be happy, and keeping a blog of your own happiness project will help other people learn from your experiences – and become happier themselves.

Reading Our Happiness Project certainly made me very happy.

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Comments

[MissM]

I'd much prefer happiness blogging to fat blogging, a la Jason Calacanis :)

[Lexi]

Hey Gretchen!

I think this is a fabulous idea. I've been on my own happiness crusade for a while now (since I was 16, and I'm 29 now . . . and from my own personal experience, we absolutely can make ourselves happier by changing what we do and how we think.) I love reading your blog because it helps me stay focused.

I also recently wrote one of my research papers on happiness! And I plan to write more about happiness in my own blog about relationships, because I beleive that being happy yourself helps you connect better with other people (and certainly having quality friends helps people be happy as well). It is all such exciting stuff.

Cheers! Congratulations on taking things to the next level!

[Hanna]

more happiness found today

http://www.youtube.com/profile_video_blog?sid=B13980FCDB379B0B&id=C23B86438E61667F

cute!

[Kim]

this is so interesting- do you know when your book will come out?

[Gretchen Rubin]

Thanks so much for asking about my book! I hope to know soon if and when it will be hitting the bookstores. I'll keep you posted. Probably over-posted!

I love the term "happiness crusade." That's fantastic.

[Shirley]

Gretchen,
Just wanted to finally take a moment to thank you for all your great work. After I initially found your Happiness Project, I wanted to read it from the beginning. Right now I'm somewhere in March 2007.

This idea is so inspiring and your posts helped me through a lot of hard days. In fact, it got me to start a blog of my own. It's only a month or so old, but in the spirit of happiness I wanted to add a little more laughter and fun to the world.

Thank you so much for all your great tips, techniques, and your real life examples. What a fabulous idea - I'm so glad it's spreading! :0)

[Dan Lennon]

The Happiness Project was one of the inspirations for starting my blog, Running With It (http://www.runningwithit.com) which is about fitness, motivation, productivity, organization, and happiness.

The Happiness Project has really helped me remember to ask that most important question about all of the things I do: "Why am I doing this? Will it make me happier?". Your blog helps me counteract the daily inertia that pushes life out of balance.

Keep up the good work and most importantly, thank you.

[lauren Hefferon]

Dear Gretchen..thanks for the inspiration. I might start a blog called. Why I bike. Spinning my way to happiness