The Happiness Project

I just finished a self-help-ish, do-it-yourself, a year of learning type book called The Happiness Project.  The Happiness Project is a book by Gretchen Rubin.  It describes her trials and tribulations throughout the year as she makes and then attempts to keep monthly resolutions to increase her level of happiness. 

It vaguely resembles Eat, Pray, Love, by Elizabeth Gilbert.  The books both detail a year long journey to find happiness, but that is where the similarities end.  In Eat, Pray, Love, the author abandons her normal everyday life in search of herself.  In The Happiness Project, Rubin embraces her life and strives to incorporate small changes into that already established framework. 

In The Happiness Project, Rubin had 11 categories of resolutions (one for every month of the year and then the last month is a review of sorts) and within the 11 categories she has 3-5 actual pinpoint resolutions that she attempts to keep.  The book describes how some things are much easier to do that she though like getting rid of clutter and observing the one minute rule (if you can do it in a minute or less, then do not put it off for later, do it right now) while other things are much, much harder like not seeking or expecting praise and reframing things in a positive or constructive light. 

The Happiness Project is a book that I could not put down.  Even though the author and I are at very different points in our lives (she is married with 2 kids and is living in NY while I am single with no kids living in CA), I could relate to her.  I think this was simply because we deep down are searching for the same thing, just like everyone else … we are searching for happiness.  This search of happiness is what connects all of us, its ultimate definition to each of us as to what happiness is and the manner in which we go about attaining it that makes us different. 

I found a lot of the book inspiring and have even made some of my own resolutions to find more happiness in my own life.  I would definitely recommend reading this book.  Also, check out Gretchen Rubin’s blog www.happiness-project.com.  I have started my own happiness project … care to join me?

Staring a Happiness Project takes gumption!