Creating a Happiness Project
An interview with Gretchen Rubin Gretchen Rubin is the best selling author of The Happiness Project Dr. Fred Gretchen, you are a bestselling writer. The work you do on your website, www.happiness-project.com is devoted to helping people of all ages and backgrounds be happy. We work specifically with midlifers and beyond. Our website, www.happiness-after-midlife.com offers a new paradigm of aging based on renewal, revitalization, and regeneration. We'd like to ask you some questions about how your work can relate to this new paradigm. Dr. Fred You started out as a lawyer and shifted to writing. Now you are an expert on happiness with a very popular website. What sparked the epiphany you experienced in jumping head over heels into the topic of happiness? A crowded bus is an unusual spot for an epiphany. But as I was riding the cross-town bus one rainy afternoon ride, I asked myself, “What do I want from life, anyway?” I thought, “I want to be happy. But I don’t spend anytime thinking about whether I am happy, or how I could be happier.” On the spot, I resolved to dedicate one full year to my happiness project. I wasn't depressed, and I wasn't having a mid-life crisis, but I realized that I wasn't as happy as I could be -- or as happy as I should be. Dr. Fred Happiness is certainly a hot topic these days. Much has been written about it in books and articles as well as on websites. Positive psychology is attracting huge interest. There are even online courses on the topic. What unique contribution do you see yourself making? With dieting, we know the "secret" - eat less, eat better, exercise more. Same with happiness. We all know the kinds of things we should do to be happier -- the trick is actually DOING them. In my book and blog, I talk about the strategies I used, and what worked. I think people find it easier to learn from one person's specific example rather than from up-to-date studies or universal principles. It's just the way we take in information. Dr. Fred Your book is highly regarded by experts such as Sonja Lyubomirsky and Daniel Pink. What was your inspiration for writing The Happiness Project book? My own life! I wanted to do a happiness project for myself. I was well underway before I decided to try to turn it into a book. Dr. Fred On your website, www.happiness-project.com, you deal with so many relevant issues: marriage, clutter, parenthood, creativity and fun, relationships, your body and work. Why did you choose these particular topics? These are the issues that challenge me, in my life. Dr. Fred What gives you the most enjoyment and fun about developing your website? So many things! Most of all, interacting with readers and hearing their ideas. Learning how to do new things. Watching the way the media is changing. Finding out what resonates most with other people. Dr. Fred If we focus on Third Agers (those between 45 and 75), what specific challenges relating to happiness and fulfillment do you think they face? Take care of your body! Get enough sleep, keep up with your doctors' appointments, don't drink or eat too much, manage pain, get exercise! This is true at every point in life, and studies show that taking care of your body can make a big difference in how your body changes. Feeling energetic and pain-free is a great basis for a happy life. Also, cultivate an atmosphere of growth. Again, this is just as true for First and Second Agers. Learn to do something new, make something better, fix something...all these efforts will make you happier. Novelty and challenge boost happiness. Dr. Fred In our own writing we debunk the myth of midlife crisis and view midlife as a transition. What is your take on this subject? Everyone is different -- having a "crisis" isn't something that will happen to everyone. I do think it's helpful to consider milestones, like important birthdays, reunions, work changes, etc. as prompts to think about your happiness. People seem to use these markers as a catalyst for reflection, and that's a very good idea. Dr. Fred What do you think are the key elements for developing authentic happiness for Third Agers? Take care of your body! Get enough sleep, keep up with your doctors' appointments, don't drink or eat too much, manage pain, get exercise! This is true at every point in life, and studies show that taking care of your body can make a big difference in how your body changes. Feeling energetic and pain-free is a great basis for a happy life. Also, cultivate an atmosphere of growth. Again, this is just as true for First and Second Agers. Learn to do something new, make something better, fix something...all these efforts will make you happier. Novelty and challenge boost happiness. Dr. Fred What new projects are you working on? I can't see past The Happiness Project. I still have a lot to say about happiness, so I might write a follow-up book or do some other kind of project. Dr. Fred What final thoughts would you like to leave with midlifers and beyond who themselves grapple with the challenge of being happier? It is possible to make yourself happier, by taking small, concrete, manageable steps each day. Take the time to identify some changes that would make you happier, and use daily resolutions to take you toward your goal. You can make yourself happier!
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, in which she shares her personal experiences in creating happiness, and challenges readers to create their own projects as a pathway to greater happiness.