Ta-da! Here’s the one-minute video for my new book, Happier at Home, on “Ten ways to be happier at home.” Some of the “ways” are serious; some are a bit goofy.

Thanks so much to Chris Gelles who created it.

What do you think? What strategies would you add?

If seeing this book trailer made you think, “Goodness, Gretchen, I want to pre-order Happier at Home right this minute,” then here are the links you need! Pre-orders are a big help to me, so thanks for pre-ordering.

If you want to know more about the book, you can…

read about it;

listen to an excerpt from the audio-book;

sample an excerpt from the chapter on “Time.”

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’m very competitive, and perfectionist, and also insecure, and I hate, hate, hate the feeling of failure — but I know that failure is a necessary part of creativity, of risk-taking, of aiming high. I remind myself that if I’m not failing, I’m not trying hard enough.

So one of my happiness-project resolutions is to “Enjoy the fun of failure.” I really think that repeating this idea over and over has helped me to be more light-hearted about taking risks.

According to the First Splendid Truth, to be happy, we should think about feeling good, feeling bad, and feeling right, in an atmosphere of growth. Happiness research confirms that people get a big boost from learning new skills and from novel experiences, which provide that atmosphere of growth. However, while novelty and challenge bring happiness, along the way, they also bring frustration, insecurity, anger, fear…happiness doesn’t always make you feel happy.

Once when I wrote about the “fun of failure,” someone responded, “Don’t think about it as failure! Re-cast it in your mind as something different,” etc. My first reaction was to agree, but then I realized — no. I don’t want to pretend that I’m not failing; I want to embrace failure.

For example, I’m thrilled because I was recently invited to become a YouTube Partner, and I’m excited about doing a much better job with putting my weekly videos on YouTube. But while I’m looking forward to improving my YouTube channel, I also dread the process of figuring out how to do that, because I know it will mean frustration, “wasted” time, feeling stupid, and mistakes along the way. In the end, though, I’m confident that I’ll feel very happy that I tackled this new, challenging task. I keep reminding myself to “Enjoy the fun of failure.”

How about you? Do you avoid failure? How do you encourage yourself to risk failure?

* Check out this one-minute video — a crazy optical illusion with burning candles.

* Are you looking for a good book to read to start your summer? 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-trailer.
Listen to a sample of the audiobook.

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 — last month’s focus was Mindfulness. Last week’s resolution was to Keep a food diary. Did you try to follow that resolution? Did it help to boost your happiness?

This month’s theme is Order, and this week’s resolution is, perhaps counter-intuitively, Don’t get organized. That’s right, I know the impulse, but resist the urge to organize all your stuff! Here’s why:

One thing I forgot to point out in the video is that “getting rid of stuff” includes giving away stuff. Some things are clutter to you, but would be useful to someone else. Get them out of your house and office, get them into the hands of someone who can use them.

If you want to read more about this resolution, check out…
A secret to happiness? Don’t get organized!
11 myths of de-cluttering.
Quiz: Are you organized?

If you’re new, here’s information on the 2010 Happiness Challenge (or watch the intro video). It’s never too late to start! You’re not behind, jump in right now, sign up here. For more ideas, check out the Happiness Project site on Woman’s Day.

* I had a good time cruising around The Motherhood to check out all the conversations there.

* In a book group? If you’d like a copy of the reading-group discussion guide for The Happiness Project, just email me at grubin [at] gretchenrubin [.com]. (Sorry to write in that odd way; trying to thwart spammers.) Just write “reading group guide” in the subject line. I’ll send it right off.

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 Mindfulness. Last week’s resolution was Use cues to cultivate mindfulness. Did you follow that resolution? How did you do? Did it boost your happiness?

This week’s resolution is Keep a food journal. I’ve tried several times to keep a food journal, because so many studies show that writing down everything you eat is a great way to improve your eating habits: when you’re mindful of what you eat, you eat differently.

In the past, I’ve tried and failed to keep a food journal — when you’re not very mindful (and I’m not), it turns out that you have a hard time being mindful of your mindfulness exercises. Sigh. I’m giving it another try now, and this time, I’m having much better success at keeping the food record — and it definitely does help me to eat better. How many times can a person wander through the kitchen and absently eat a caramel-flavored rice cake, and not even notice, if she’s not writing it down? You might be surprised.

If you want to read more about this resolution, check out…
Stop expecting to change your habits in 21 days.
11 tips I’m using to eat right.

If you’re new, here’s information on the 2010 Happiness Challenge (or watch the intro video). It’s never too late to start! You’re not behind, jump in right now, sign up here. For more ideas, check out the Happiness Project site on Woman’s Day.

* I loved this happy video showing folks from Seattle’s Best Coffee launching the re-invention of their brand by gleefully taking over Starbucks headquarters.

* Follow me on Twitter! @gretchenrubin.

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 resolution is Mindfulness. Mindfulness can bring many benefits. It brings clarity and vividness to present experience. It may help people end unhealthy habits and patterns. It can enhance a sense of well-being and calm troubled spirits.

Last week’s resolution was to Meditate on koans. Did you follow that resolution? How did you do? What’s your favorite koan?

This week’s resolution is to Create cues for mindfulness. One of the problems with not being very mindful is that even when you’re trying to be more mindful, it’s hard to stay mindful of the resolution to be mindful. So reminder cues help.

If you want to read more about this resolution, check out…
My attempt to activate certain ideas in my mind.
Why I’d rather be enthusiastic than confident. (This post is one of my personal favorites. Note the photo!)

If you’re new, here’s information on the 2010 Happiness Challenge (or watch the intro video). It’s never too late to start! You’re not behind, jump in right now, sign up here. For more ideas, check out the Happiness Project site on Woman’s Day.

* I found lots of posts that caught my interest at Coffee and Commutes.

* If you’d like a personalized, signed bookplate to put in your copy of The Happiness Project, just email me the name (your name or your gift recipient’s name) and an address, and I’ll mail it right off. Feel free to ask for as many as you like. My email is grubin [at] gretchenrubin [.com].

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 focus is Mindfulness. Last week’s resolution was a quiz, How mindful are you? Did you take that quiz? How did you do?

This week’s resolution is to Meditate on koans. A “koan” is a question, story, or statement that can’t be understood logically. Zen Buddhist monks meditate on koans as a way to abandon dependence on reason in their pursuit of enlightenment. Even if you’re not seeking satori (or, I should probably say, you’re not seeking it), I’ve found that thinking about a koan stimulates mindfulness. Because koans force me to challenge the usual, straightforward boxes of meaning, they push me to think about thinking.

I love this koan: The best way out is always through.

If you want to read more about this resolution, check out…
Find your own koan.
Life’s cruel truth: you get more of what you already have.
The extraordinary happiness of completing a project: Four to Llewelyn’s Edge.

A propos of Buddhism, I make the following observation: it’s continually surprising to me that Buddhism, with its emphasis on gateless gates and transcending the bounds of rational thinking, has so many numbered lists! I love them, but still, it seems incongruous. There’s a koan to be written about it, that’s for sure. Let’s see…how about, “Use numbers to throw away enumeration.”

If you’re new, here’s information on the 2010 Happiness Challenge (or watch the intro video). It’s never too late to start! You’re not behind, jump in right now, sign up here. For more ideas, check out the Happiness Project site on Woman’s Day.

* Speaking of koans, Wikipedia has an entry on Facebook Page. If you’d like to add your name, click here or email me at grubin [at] gretchenrubin [.com]. (Sorry to write in that odd way; trying to thwart spammers.)