The Happiness Project

"I Feel Discouraged By My Messy House."

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 in a video, my friend Maria poses a question about some Pigeon of Discontent raised by a blog reader. Because, as much as we try to find the Bluebird of Happiness, we're also plagued by the Pigeons of Discontent.

This week's Pigeon of Discontent, suggested by a reader, is: "I feel discouraged by my messy house."

My Messy House

If you want to read more about this resolution, check out…
10 steps to beat clutter...in less than 5 minutes.
Need a simple way to get your life under control? Try the "one-minute rule."
Fighting clutter? Go shelf by shelf.

How about you? Have you found any simple strategies for staying on top of the mess at home, at work, in the car...?

I hope you enjoy the new format. It's still evolving, so bear with me while it's taking shape.

You can post your own Pigeon of Discontent at any time; also, from time to time, I'll make a special call for suggestions.

If you're new, jump in right now, sign up here. Studies suggest that by taking action, like signing up for this challenge, will help you keep your resolutions. For the 2012 Challenge, each week I'll post a video for you to consider, and you can check out the archives of videos here.

* I'm a huge fan of the work of Jacqueline Schmidt, an artist who makes many things--in particular, I love her shadow boxes. I was thrilled to see her work featured in the Wall Street Journal over the weekend. I love all things miniature: shadow boxes, dioramas, terrariums, bonsai, maquettes.

* Please subscribe to my YouTube Channel. To get the weekly video by email, right in your email in-box, you can:
-- On the GretchenRubin channel page, after you subscribe, click "Edit Subscription" and check the box, “Email me for new uploads.” Or...
-- Go to your main drop-down box, click “Subscriptions,” find the GretchenRubin channel, click “Edit Subscriptions,” and check “Email me for new uploads” there.

To get the audio podcast of the video:
-- Log in to iTunes
-- Go to “Podcasts”
-- Search for “The Happiness Project.” Free, of course.

9 Common Myths about Clearing Clutter.

Every Wednesday is Tip Day or List Day.

One of my key realizations about happiness, and a point oddly under-emphasized by positive psychologists, given its emphasis in popular culture, is that Outer order contributes to inner calm. More than it should.

After all, in the context of a happy life, a messy desk or house is a trivial problem—yet I've found, and other people tell me they feel the same way, that getting control of the stuff of life makes me feel more in control of my life generally. (Even if this is an illusion, it's a helpful illusion.)

But as much as most of us want to keep our home, office, car, etc. in reasonable order, it’s tough. Here are some myths of de-cluttering that make it harder than it needs to be.

Myths of Cluttering:
1. "I need to get organized." No! This is not your first step! Don't get organized.

2. "The more organized I am, the better." I fully appreciate the pleasure of having a place for everything, and perhaps counter-intuitively, I find it easier to put things away in an exact place, rather than a general place (“the third shelf of the coat closet,” not “a closet”). However, this impulse can become destructive: if you spend a lot of time alphabetizing your spices or setting up eighty categories for your home library, consider simplifying your approach. Also, some things simply won't stay organized, so it's not even worth trying; I’ve spent hours sorting magic markers and Calico Critters pieces, only to find everything a jumble the next day.

3. "I need to run out and buy some inventive storage containers." See #1. I love cunning containers as much as anyone, but I've found that if I get rid of everything I don’t need, I often don't need a container at all.

4. "I need to find the perfect recipient for everything I’m getting rid of." True, it’s easier to let go of things when they're going to a good home, but be wary of letting this kind intention become a source of clutter, itself. I have a friend who has multiple piles all over her house, each lovingly destined for a particular recipient. This is generous and thoughtful, but it contributes mightily to clutter. Try to find one or two good recipients, or create some kind of rigid system for moving stuff along quickly.

5. "I can’t get rid of anything that I might possibly need one day." How terrible would it be if you needed a glass jar and didn’t have one? Do you need gigantic stores of rubber bands or coffee mugs?

6. "Someday, I might get that gizmo fixed." Face it. If you’ve had something for more than six months, and it’s still not repaired, it’s clutter.

7. "After I lose some weight, I’ll fit into these clothes again." If you lose a bunch of weight, you’ll likely want to buy a new pair of jeans, not dust off the pair you bought seven years ago.

8. "I need to keep this to remind me of the past." I’m a huge fan of mementos; remembering happy times in the past gives you a big happiness boost in the present. But ask yourself: do I need to keep all these t-shirts to remind me of high school, or can I keep a few? Do I need to keep a giant armchair to remind me of my father, or can I use a photograph? Mementos work best when they’re carefully chosen—and when they don’t take up much room!

9. "I need to keep this object to show respect for the person who gave it to me." You can love someone, but not want to keep a gift from that person. It's okay to pass an item along to someone who will appreciate it more.

What other myths am I overlooking? Do these ring true for you?

* I just discovered Geoff Manaugh's Bldg Blog—so much to see and read.

* My next book, Happier at Home, is inching toward completion. Just finishing the interior layout now. If you'd like to be notified when the book becomes available, sign up here. Now that the year has switched from 2011 to 2012, my publication date seems much, much closer.

Test Yourself: Do You Have Clutter Mentality?

One thing I've noticed about happiness: for me, and for most people, outer order contributes to inner calm. More than it should. In the scope of a happy life, a messy desk or an overstuffed coat closet is a trivial thing, yet I find -- and I hear from other people that they agree -- that getting rid of clutter gives a disproportionate boost to happiness.

If having a home, office, garage, car, or yard filled with clutter is such a drag on our happiness, why do we put up with it? There are many reasons, and having a clearer understanding of why you have clutter helps show you how to attack it.

Test yourself. Do you find yourself repeating these phrases, to justify keeping something that you don't use or don't even particularly like?

• Someday, I might need this
• This thing is so useful that someday I’ll find a way to use it
• This thing is so useful that I can’t just throw it away, but I don’t know how to get it into the hands of someone who would want it
• This thing was a gift, so I need to keep it out of respect for the giver
• Just wait, someday this thing will be a collector’s item!
• I never had this thing as a child, so I want to have it as an adult
• The more things I keep, the more I will leave my family one day
• Going through my things stirs up my emotions, and I can’t handle that right now
• I don’t have the time or energy to sort through my clutter to figure out what I want to keep
• I’ve had this thing for so long; I can’t get rid of it now
• I forgot about that thing! I never use that closet/drawer/garage so I didn’t even realize it was there.

What have I left out? Have you found yourself justifying some clutter on some other grounds? The more I examine the issue of clutter, the more effort I put into combating it, because it really does act as a weight. (In that vein, here are 10 tips to fight clutter, in less than 5 minutes.)

William Morris admonished, “Have nothing in your houses that you do not know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful.” That's a great test for identifying clutter.

* I love looking through the blog Desire to Inspire -- "inspirational furniture and indoor design."

* If you're also looking for a good book, please consider The Happiness Project (can't resist mentioning: #1 New York Times bestseller).
Order your copy.
Read sample chapters.

>

In Which I'm Embarrassed to Admit How Happy a Certain Clutter-Clearing Move Made Me.

In my study of happiness, one thing that has surprised me is the disproportionate effect of clutter. In the context of a happy life, clutter seems trivial -- yet over and over, I see how drained I am by the presence of clutter, and how cheered I am when I get clutter under control.

One of my Secrets of Adulthood for clutter is: Put things away near where they want to be. When I find myself moving an item from Point A to Point C, over and over, it's time to figure out if we can store it at Point A or at least at Point B. Instead of storing my husband's overnight bag with the rest of the luggage, which was inconvenient, we decided that it "belonged" in the bedroom closet. Instead of sitting out in the hallway for days at a time, for various family members to trip over, it gets stowed without delay.

This rule sounds laughably obvious, but I often forget to follow it. One recent example: my older daughter is going through a stage that involves the heavy use of nail polish and related products. Every day, it seems, she's taking off nail polish, or putting it on, or both, on her fingers, her toes, or both.

I kept putting away the nail-polish remover, and the cotton pads, and the bottles of nail polish, all of which belonged in separate places. Yes, first I'd ask her to put the things away, and sometimes she'd remember, but usually not.

Then I remembered: put things away near where they want to be. Why had we decided that the nail polish, cotton balls, and nail-polish remover belonged in three different places, all over the apartment? Consolidate! I got a bag and a box from my collection of spare containers (a very handy collection to have, as long as it doesn't get too large, itself, which is more of a risk than you might imagine), put the bottles of nail polish in the bag, put the bag in the box with the remover and cotton balls next to it, and put the box on a shelf in my daughter's room. Now she totes the whole thing around the apartment, and does a much better job of putting it away.

In addition to minimizing clutter, this innovation also meant that I had less reason to nag my daughter or to be annoyed by her mess. Less clutter, less nagging -- a happier home!

A little thing, very little, but as Samuel Johnson observed, “It is by studying little things that we attain the great art of having as little misery, and as much happiness as possible.”

It's embarrassing to admit what an utterly outsized hit of happiness I got from this bit of organization.

* If you need a good gift for someone who loves to read -- or if you love to read and want a little treat for yourself -- check out the delightful Slightly Foxed -- "the Real Reader's Quarterly." It's a little quarterly magazine, published in Britain, with essays about books. These aren't reviews, but personal recommendations. For people who read a lot, it can be hard to find new suggestions, and every time I read Slightly Foxed, I add several titles to my library list.

* Want to launch or join a group for people doing happiness projects together? To get the starter kit, for help starting a group, email me at gretchenrubin1 at gretchenrubin dot com. To learn more, and to find out if there's a group in your area, look here.

 

Clearing Clutter? Think About Appearances, Too.

One of my Secrets of Adulthood is: Outer order contributes to inner calm. For many people (including me), in fact, this seems disproportionately true. It's not such a big deal to have a messy coat closet or a crowded desk -- yet I get a surprising rush of happiness and relief when I clear clutter.

I've realized, too, that it's useful not only to get rid of clutter, but also to worry about appearances: to straighten stacks, to turn things right-side up, to make piles look more pleasing. I want to increase orderliness, and also make areas simply look more orderly.

For instance, I sized up my messy piles of t-shirts; I’ve never had the knack for folding items properly. (I’ve also never learned to tie my shoes the right way but still use the babyish “bunny ears” method, to my mother’s chagrin and my daughters’ glee.) Another Secret of Adulthood is It’s okay to ask for help, and I knew just whom to ask for a folding tutorial. A friend had worked in children’s clothing store during high school, and I’d heard her boast about what a good folder she was.

“Hey,” I told her the next time we met, “I need a lesson in folding.” I pulled out the white t-shirt I’d brought with me.

“Why?” she laughed. “You actually brought a t-shirt?” She held it up and eyed it critically. “Hmm, this one isn’t good for folding, the fabric is too thin. It’s not going to hold its shape nicely.”

“Well, just show me what to do. I’m no good at it.”

She gave me a demonstration. She held up the t-shirt, with the front facing her, then flipped the width of the left sleeve toward the center, then the right sleeve. Next, holding both sides flipped in, she lay the t-shirt down and folded it in half. She was fast.

“Ah,” I said, studying these movements with great intensity. “I’ve been doing it wrong. I fold shirts in half longways, then half again.”

“Folding that way, the shirts get a crease down the middle, and don’t lay as flat. Practice a bunch of times. It’ll get easy.”

I practiced, I folded all my t-shirts, and I got a real charge from seeing the tidy, flat piles. There’s a surgeon’s pleasure that comes from maintaining sheer order, from putting an object back neatly in its precise place.

For the same reason, in the kitchen, instead of keeping measuring cups and spoons loose among the coffee cups, I gathered them in a plastic basket. It's really no easier to find them, and yet the appearance of greater orderliness is satisfying.

How about you? Do you feel calmer when you're in an orderly environment? Or even one that just looks more orderly? What strategies work for you, to keep things looking uncluttered?

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.

* I just spent the last while re-reading (fifth time? sixth time?) Flannery O'Connor's essay, Some Aspects of the Grotesque in Southern Fiction. I love O'Connor's work so much I almost can't stand it. My question: why wasn't Flannery O'Connor obsessed with my spiritual master, St. Therese of Lisieux? These are the questions that preoccupy me.

* Want to get my free monthly newsletter? It highlights the best of the month’s material from the blog and the Facebook Page. Email me at gretchenrubin1 at gretchenrubin dot com, or sign up here.

Want To Feel Happier by the End of the Day? Your Menu of Options.

Every Wednesday is Tip Day.
This Wednesday: How to feel happier by the end of the day: your menu of options.

Do you need a happiness boost—right now? If so, take a look at this menu of options and make your choices. Remember, the more you tackle, the bigger the boost you’ll receive.

When you’re feeling blue, it can be hard to muster up the physical and mental energy to do the things that make you happier. Plunking down in front of the TV or digging into a tub of ice cream seems like an easier fix.

However, research shows (and you know it’s true) that these aren’t the routes to feeling better. Try some choices below. The more you push yourself, the better you’ll feel; but if you can’t tackle a big task, just do something small. Even a little step in the right direction will give you a lift.

According to my ground-breaking happiness formula, to be happy, you need to think about feeling good, feeling bad, and feeling right, in an atmosphere of growth. What’s dragging you down? Is it a lack of fun, of connection? Do you feel a lot of guilt, boredom, or anger? Do you feel that something’s “not right” about your life? Do you feel stagnant or stuck? Focus your efforts on the choices that will do the most to address what’s not working in your life.

Your menu of choices -- commit to doing as many items as you can:

Friends
__ call or email one of your closest friends
__ call or email three friends to whom you haven’t spoken in a while
__ track down an old friend who has drifted out of your life

Fun
__ add a fun thing to your calendar
__ better, add a fun thing to your calendar that involves other people
__ best, add a fun thing to your calendar that involves other people doing something outside

Challenge
__ think of a subject that you wish you knew more about (be honest! something that really interests you!) and spend 15 minutes on the internet reading about it
__ take a step toward acquiring a new skill that you want – research Italian classes in your neighborhood, investigate Photoshop
__ if you absolutely can’t think of one single subject that interests you, visit two bookstores (one huge chain, one independent) and browse until some book catches your attention – and buy it

Do good, feel good
__ sign up to be an organ donor, and remember to tell your family
__ give $25 or more to a worthy cause
__ sign up to volunteer or participate in an organization

Energy
__ walk around the block
__ do ten jumping-jacks
__ go the gym or go for a run

Order
__ clear out the space around your computer
__ clear out a closet
__ walk through your house with a garbage bag, and clear clutter until the bag is full of trash; then walk around again and fill a new bag with things to be given away; repeat

Guilt
__ make a dentist’s or doctor’s appointment that you’ve been putting off
__ reach out to a family member whom you’ve been neglecting
__ make something right: apologize, confess, repair, replace, or return something you borrowed

Nagging tasks
__ clean out three old emails that you haven’t answered
__ stop off at the drugstore to buy supplies you need
__ stop off at the hardware store to buy supplies you need
__ fix something broken

Good citizen
__ Throw away someone else’s litter
__ Be helpful to an elderly person or a person with small kids
__ Be friendly to a store clerk who seems grouchy

Gratitude
__ Reflect on the following quotation, from Marjorie William’s The Woman at the Washington Zoo:

We could hear her friends pull up to the curb. As her momentum carried her to the top of the stairs, Alice looked back and tossed me a radiant smile. She had become my glimmering girl: She looked like a rock star. She looked like a teenager. She looked absolutely stunning. She thundered down the stairs in those shoes, and as the front door slammed behind her, it came to me—what fantasy I had finally, easily entered this Halloween.

I’d just seen Alice leave for her prom, or her first real date. I’d cheated time, flipping the calendar five or six years into the future. The character I’d played was the fifty-two-year-old mother I will probably never be.

It was effortless.

Editor’s Note: A month after Marjorie wrote this, her oncologist concluded that there was no further treatment to recommend. Marjorie died, at home, on January 16, 2005, three days after her forty-seventh birthday.

__ Reflect on the following quotation, Winston Churchill to the House of Commons, June 4, 1940:

We shall prove ourselves once again able to defend our island home, to ride out the storm of war, and to outlive the menace of tyranny, if necessary for years, if necessary alone. At any rate, that is what we are going to try to do.
…
Even though large tracts of Europe and many old and famous States have fallen or may fall into the grip of the Gestapo and all the odious apparatus of Nazi rule, we shall not flag or fail. We shall go on to the end. We shall fight in France, we shall fight on the seas and oceans, we shall fight with growing confidence and growing strength in the air, we shall defend our island, whatever the cost may be. We shall fight on the beaches, we shall fight on the landing grounds, we shall fight in the fields and in the streets, we shall fight in the hills; we shall never surrender; and even if, which I do not for a moment believe, this Island or a large part of it were subjugated and starving, then our Empire beyond the seas, armed and guarded by the British Fleet, would carry on the struggle, until, in God’s good time, the New World, with all its power and might, steps forth to the rescue and liberation of the Old.

__ Reflect on the following quotation, from Thomas Arnold, diary, June 5, 1842:

[Of reading the newspaper] “So much of sin and so much of suffering in the world, as are there displayed, and no one seems able to remedy either. And then the thought of my own private life, so full of comforts, is very startling.”

At the end of the day, look back on your list. Did you hit all the items you checked off? Do you feel happier?

* I love checking out NSKYC -- "the average color of the New York City sky, updated every 5 minutes." Strangely fascinating.

* If you're looking for a good book, please consider The Happiness Project (can't resist mentioning: #1 New York Times bestseller).
Order your copy.
Read sample chapters.
Watch the one-minute book video.
Listen to a sample of the audiobook.

Drowning in Clutter? No Time or Energy? Go Shelf by Shelf.

2011 Happiness Challenge: For those of you following the 2011 Happiness Project Challenge, to make 2011 a happier year -- and even if you haven’t officially signed up for the challenge -- welcome! This month’s theme is Possessions, and last week's resolution was to Cultivate a shrine. Did you try that resolution? Did it boost your happiness?

This week’s resolution is to Go shelf by shelf.

Go shelf by shelf.MP3 for Audio Podcasting

But wait, I made a mistake! I said that William Blake wrote that "Order is Heaven's first law," but actually it was ALEXANDER POPE. Which I know perfectly well! I don't know how I made that error.

How about you? Do you agree that outer order contributes to inner calm, for you, or is that not the case? Have you found any good strategies for keeping clutter at bay?

If you want to read more about this resolution, check out…
Fighting clutter? Go shelf by shelf.
10 tips to clear clutter...in less than 10 minutes.
Need a simple and effective way to get your life under control? Try the "one-minute" rule.

If you're new, here’s information on the 2011 Happiness Challenge. It’s never too late to start! You’re not behind, jump in right now, sign up here. For the Challenge, each week I'll post a video suggesting a resolution for you to consider. For more ideas for resolutions to try, check out the archives of videos here.

* Please subscribe to my YouTube Channel. To get the weekly video by email, right in your email in-box, you can:
-- On the GretchenRubin channel page, after you subscribe, click "Edit Subscription" and check the box, “Email me for new uploads.” Or...
-- Go to your main drop-down box, click “Subscriptions,” find the GretchenRubin channel, click “Edit Subscriptions,” and check “Email me for new uploads” there.

To get the audio podcast of the video:
-- Log in to iTunes
-- Go to “Podcasts”
-- Search for “The Happiness Project.” Free, of course.

Drowning in Clutter? Observe the One-Minute Rule.

2011 Happiness Challenge: For those of you following the 2011 Happiness Project Challenge, to make 2011 a happier year -- and even if you haven’t officially signed up for the challenge -- welcome! This month’s theme is Time. Last week’s resolution was to Suffer...for fifteen minutes. Did you try that resolution? Did it boost your happiness?

This week’s resolution is to Observe the one-minute rule.

Keep_the_one_minute_rule.MP3_for_Audio_Podcasting

If you want to read more about this resolution, check out…
10 tips to beat clutter...in less than 5 minutes.
Try the one-minute rule.
A secret to happiness? Don't get organized.
11 myths of de-cluttering.

Do you follow anything like the one-minute rule, to help yourself from getting overwhelmed by clutter, disorganization, and small nagging tasks? What works for you?

If you're new, here’s information on the 2011 Happiness Challenge. It’s never too late to start! You’re not behind, jump in right now, sign up here. For the Challenge, each week I'll post a video suggesting a resolution for you to consider. For more ideas for resolutions to try, check out the archives of videos here.

I always laugh out loud when I visit How Not to Act Old.

* Please subscribe to my YouTube Channel. To get the weekly video by email, right in your email in-box, you can:
-- On the GretchenRubin channel page, after you subscribe, click "Edit Subscription" and check the box, “Email me for new uploads.” Or...
-- Go to your main drop-down box, click “Subscriptions,” find the GretchenRubin channel, click “Edit Subscriptions,” and check “Email me for new uploads” there.

To get the audio podcast of the video:
-- Log in to iTunes
-- Go to “Podcasts”
-- Search for “The Happiness Project.” Free, of course.

Fighting Clutter? Go Shelf By Shelf.

“Order is Heaven’s first law,” wrote Alexander Pope, and one thing that has surprised me about happiness is the significance of clutter to happiness. In the context of a happy life, a roomy coat closet or a neat kitchen counter seems trivial -- but somehow, it can have a disproportionate effect.

For most people, and certainly for me, outer order contributes to inner calm. When I’m surrounded by a mess, I felt restless and unsettled, and I’m always surprised by the disproportionate energy and cheer released by clutter clearing -- plus, I’m able to find my keys.

Fighting clutter is a never-ending battle, and I’m always looking for strategies to stop its insidious progress. I recently resolved to “Go shelf by shelf,” then drawer by drawer, then closet by closet, through our apartment.

I weighed two approaches to this resolution: to go systematically shelf by shelf through my apartment, starting at one end, ending at the other, taking a few hours each time, or to go shelf by shelf in a more scattershot way, taking advantage of loose bits of time.

My instinct to be methodical is very strong, but in the end, I decided to follow the second path. I didn’t want this to be a one-time exercise, helpful for a brief time, until the clutter crept back in (as it always does). Instead, I want to train myself to use this approach for the rest of my life: now, every time I face a shelf, I evaluate the things I see there, and make sure they’re in the right place (on the proper shelf, or in the trash, or in the give-away pile).

So far, this resolution is working pretty well. Whenever I have a few minutes of idle time -- when I’m waiting for my daughter to put on her nightgown, or I have ten minutes before I leave the apartment -- I evaluate whatever small area I happen to encounter. Ok, time to throw out the grapes that have gone wrinkly. Admit it, there’s no reason to keep that mateless sock. That camera cord belongs in the camera-cord basket (yes, I do have a basket dedicated to camera cords).

Like the one-minute rule and the evening tidy-up, the shelf-by-shelf resolution has two advantages: it doesn’t take much time, and results start to show very fast. I’ve been trying to cultivate the shelf-by-shelf habit for just a few months, but I can see a drop in clutter and a rise in orderliness. Also, helpfully, this exercise has given me a much better sense of where to find the things I already possess, which cuts down on annoying searches.

William Morris admonished, “Have nothing in your houses that you do not know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful.” Going shelf-by-shelf is helping me get rid of stuff that doesn’t meet that standard. (If you're struggling with clutter, check out the 11 myths of de-cluttering.)

How about you? Have you figured out strategies to help keep clutter under control? Do you find that clutter affects your happiness -- or not?

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.

* My friend Susan Cain, Quiet: the Blog fame, sent me this fascinating link -- to a "marital rating scale" for husbands and wives from the 1930's.

* I've said it before, and I'll say it again, please consider pre-ordering The Happiness Project! Pre-orders give a huge boost to a book, so if you're inclined to buy it for yourself or as a gift, I'd so appreciate your pre-order! As a thank-you, if you do pre-order, I'll send you a copy of my Happiness Paradoxes. Just email me at gretchenrubin1 at gmail dot com, with a note, "I pre-ordered."

Video: Do a 24-Hour "Boot Camp."

2010 Happiness Challenge: For those of you following the 2010 Happiness Project Challenge, to make 2010 a happier year – and even if you haven’t officially signed up for the challenge -- this month's theme is Boot Camp. Last week’s theme was Do something every day. Did you try to follow that resolution? Did it help to boost your happiness?

This week’s resolution is to Do a 24-hour boot camp.

If you want to read more about this resolution, check out…
Put yourself in creativity boot camp.
How to stick to your New Year's resolutions -- 12 tips.
A surefire way to make yourself happier.

Have you ever tried to blast through a challenging task with twenty-four hours of intense focus? (Or some version of that.) Did it help?

We're nearing the end of the Happiness 2010 Challenge! Hard to believe. You can continue -- or join in -- for the Happiness 2011 Challenge.

* Have I ever mentioned how much I crave getting gold stars? Oh right, I think that may have come up before. Well, now I can have my gold stars and eat them too -- a thoughtful reader pointed out these edible glitter gold stars. Yum.

* Please subscribe to my YouTube Channel. To get the weekly video by email, right in your email in-box, you can:
-- On the GretchenRubin channel page, after you subscribe, click "Edit Subscription" and check the box, “Email me for new uploads.” Or...
-- Go to your main drop-down box, click “Subscriptions,” find the GretchenRubin channel, click “Edit Subscriptions,” and check “Email me for new uploads” there.