True Rules: The resolutions NOT to make for your New Year's resolutions.

I've started a new feature -- the True Rules series. These aren't general rules for living, like "Enjoy the present." They're concrete lessons that come out of people's specific experiences. Whether you agree with these rules or not, they’re fun to consider.

Something that makes me very happy is to make a new friend (confirming the huge amount of research that says that strong social bonds are the KEY to happiness), and it’s especially fun to make friends with a fellow blogger.

So I was very happy to meet Deborah Siegel, whose popular blog Girl With Pen just grew to a new level as group blog instead of her solo project. She also consults with people and organizations who want to expand their public platform, say, by starting a blog.

She struck me as the kind of person who would have an interesting True Rule, and indeed, she did -- on one of my favorite topics, the making of resolutions.

If you can’t watch the video, Deborah Siegel’s True Rule is: “Never make a New Year’s resolution that’s not fun to keep. So, for instance: dance more, drink more wine, eat more chocolate.” I will re-post this on December 31.

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Interested in starting your own Happiness Project? If you’d like to take a look at my personal Resolutions Chart, for inspiration, just email me at grubin, then the “at” sign, then gretchenrubin dot com. No need to write anything more than “Resolutions Chart” in the subject line.