About “The Happiness Project”

By Irene Conlan -

When Gretchen Rubin realized she was not happy she decided to do something about it and spent a  year of her life on her very personal happiness project. Some of us spend a lifetime trying to become happy and see no results. Gretchen did see results. I just finished reading her book, The Happiness Project: Why I Spent a Year Trying to Sing in the Morning, Clean my Closets, Fight Right, Read Aristotle, and Generally Have More Fun. I’m going to read it again. I have a pre-publication copy – it will be available at http://Amazon.com on December 29. It will be an after-Christmas gift for my closest self-improvement friends.  It’s that good.

This is a very brave project and her book bares her soul in a way that takes tremendous personal courage. Few of us would allow ourselves to be so transparent.  She dedicated each month to a specific project of self improvement and the projects continued for the entire year, so by the end of the year she was working on all of them at once.  She shares her failures openly and lets you know when she had to do a course correction.

In ” A Note to the Reader”, Rubin states”

A  “happiness project” is an approach to changing your life. First is the preparation state, when you identify what brings you joy, satisfaction , and engagement, and also what brings you guilt, anger, boredom, and remorse. Second is the making of resolutions, when you identify the concrete actions that will boost your happiness. Then comes the interesting part: keeping your resolutions.

This book is the story of her happiness project – her preparation, her resolutions and her attempt to keep those resolutions.

You won’t find overwhelming projects here, although I’m sure that sometimes it felt like it to Gretchen. You will find her projects “little things” from everyday life – but isn’t life made up of a series of little things – little moments, little accomplishments, little epiphanies – that add up to significant changes?

Her chapters deal with the major areas of life:

• Vitality
• Marriage
• Work
• Parenthood
• Leisure
• Friendship
• Money
• Eternity
• Books
• Mindfulness
• Attitude
• Happiness

Each chapter has its specific project for self improvement.

During the year she blogged about her experiences at http://www.thehappinessproject.com.  Here, as in the book, you will find her 12 personal  commandments, 4 splendid truths, and most important, the Happiness Toolbox that gives you all the tools you need to do your own happiness project. http://www.happinessprojecttoolbox.com/

My first thought when I saw her toolbox was to slap  myself on the forehead like they do in commercials for V8 juice and say, “Why didn’t I think of this?”  It’s a remarkable piece of work and I highly recommend it.

If you are serious about your own happiness (hmmm. Should we be serious about happiness?) this is the most helpful project I have seen. It certainly is worth giving it your best shot. We’re rushing up to the beginning of a new year with all of its resolutions – a perfect time to start becoming happier.

What kind of difference would it make to our families and communities if each of us became happier in 2010? I love the thought.

About Irene: Irene Conlan has a master's degree in nursing, with a major in nursing administration and a minor in psychiatric nursing. She taught nursing at Arizona State University, served as Director of Nursing Administration at St. Luke's Hospital and Medical Center in Phoenix and served as Assistant Director of the Arizona Department of Health Services for the Division of Health Care Facilities and Emergency Medical Services. She is also a certified hypnotherapist with a practice in Scottsdale, AZ. She is an avid blogger and manages http://www.theselfimprovementblog.com, http://www.theselfesteemblog.com, http://www.thepositivepsychologyblog.com Irene lives in Scottsdale AZ and has two sons and three grandsons.