The Happiness Project :o)

Different happiness strategies work for different people. The following strategies stood out for Gretchen Rubin and "The Happiness Project". I have added my thoughts to the bolded strategies.


Seek novelty and challenge even if you value consistency and comfort. Trying new things is one of the most effective paths to happiness.

Try doing whatever you enjoyed doing at age 10. I would substitute and think of a time when you remember being happy, and try doing those same things again. Enthusiasm is the key.

Read memoirs of death and suffering. I was not expecting this one. The premise is that this helps put our own problems into perspective. I struggle with this one a bit because it requires you to make yourself feel better at the expense of someone else's struggles.

Declutter your home. Having a few chores that you want to accomplish each day can bring you satisfaction and a sense of accomplishment. I know that I try and do this on my non-work days. It is way to easy to spend lots of time behind the keyboard.

Be appreciative of people's good traits rather than critical of their bad ones. I think that this is key to a good relationship. It is always easy to find things to be critical of, but focusing on the positive traits, the things that attracted us to our mates or friends, leaves us with a warmness inside that is hard to duplicate.

Enjoy today even if there's still work to do. Take time to be happy each and every day. Do not hang your happiness shingle on some future milestone that is going to take years to achieve.

http://www.happiness-project.com/