Resolution Prep: Happiness

Gretchen Rubin’s fantastic book The Happiness Project: Or, Why I Spent a Year Trying to Sing in the Morning, Clean My Closets, Fight Right, Read Aristotle, and Generally Have More Fun will undoubtedly land in my top books for 2010.  And in terms of preparing resolutions for 2011 you couldn’t do better than to read this book.

What I love about Rubin’s project is how she really examined her life – what was working and what wasn’t – and then she DID something about it.  So often I think and think and think about something and then fail to take action.  I took pages of notes as I read, and I know that what struck me might not strike you, but in all the research and topic areas that Rubin tied in to happiness, there is bound to be something helpful for you.

The book covers how to make and keep resolutions, decluttering your home and life, parenting, marriage, friendships, getting stuff done, being mindful, different kinds of fun and which types are most satisfying, sleep and exercise, taking control of your thoughts to change your attitude, and much more.

I was challenged at every turn by this book: to really examine my priorities, my relationships, my habitual ways of thinking and responding, and to think about who I really am rather than trying to force myself into other people’s molds.

The Happiness Project is a fabulous book and I would highly recommend it to you.  If you don’t already read Gretchen’s blog, you should, but even if you do, you’ll find a whole lot more in her book.

Related posts:

1. Own It
2. Resolution Prep: Time
3. Resolution Prep: Health