The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin: Book Overview

The Happiness Project was published in December 2009 by HarperCollins and spent a long time on bestseller lists. Its author, Gretchen Rubin, a former lawyer who had clerked at the US Supreme Court before becoming a writer, decided that she wanted to be happier in her already good life, and set out to research and test ways of doing it.

The result is part memoir, part research summary and part practical guide.

The structure

Rubin spent a year focusing on a different theme each month, such as energy, marriage, work, parenting, friendship, money and mindfulness. For each theme she chose a handful of specific resolutions. In the energy month, for example, she worked on going to bed earlier and clearing clutter. Each chapter describes what she tried, what the research said and how it went.

She kept track using a "resolutions chart", a simple daily grid where she ticked off each resolution she'd kept.

Key ideas

Several ideas from the book have become widely shared:

• Be yourself. Happiness strategies that work for others may not work for you. Rubin discovered, for example, that she doesn't enjoy certain activities she was "supposed" to love.
• Small changes add up. Specific, concrete resolutions, like "sing in the morning" or "tackle a nagging task", are more effective than vague goals like "be happier".
• Act the way you want to feel. Behaviour can influence mood, so acting more cheerfully or energetically can sometimes lift how you feel.
• The days are long, but the years are short. A reminder to appreciate everyday moments, especially with children.
• Happiness and growth are linked. Learning, progress and an atmosphere of growth contribute to happiness.

What works

The book is readable and honest. Rubin is open about her flaws, such as impatience and a tendency to nag, which makes the advice feel relatable rather than preachy. The monthly structure is easy to copy, and the emphasis on tailoring strategies to your own personality is a useful antidote to one-size-fits-all advice.

Criticisms

Some readers find the book's perspective narrow: Rubin writes from a position of considerable comfort and security, and acknowledges this. Readers facing serious hardship, illness or financial strain may find some of her concerns distant from their own.

Others find the detailed self-monitoring exhausting rather than inspiring. And like many books that mix memoir and research, it can't tell you which strategies will work for you; it can only show you how one person approached the question.

Designing your own happiness project

You don't need a whole year. Try a mini version:

1. Choose three areas of life you'd like to feel better about.
2. Write two or three specific resolutions for each.
3. Make a simple chart to track them daily.
4. Review weekly. Keep what helps; drop what doesn't.

Our Just for Today Challenge works on a similar principle, with a new small experiment each day.

Who it's for

The book suits readers who enjoy memoir mixed with practical ideas, and who want to make a good life a little better rather than solve a crisis.

Related: the five keys to happiness and 100 things that make you happy.

Sources and further reading

• Gretchen Rubin, The Happiness Project, Wikipedia

Questions people ask

Do I need a whole year for a happiness project?

No. A month, a season or even a week with a few specific resolutions can be enough to learn what helps. The key ideas are to tailor resolutions to yourself and track them simply.