We can accept ourselves and also expect more from ourselves.
In my work, I investigate unexpected truths about everyday life—and identify ways we can take happiness from the transcendent to the concrete.
BACK BY POPULAR DEMAND
A YEAR-LONG GUIDED COURSE
Beginning January 1, this flexible, self-paced course guides you through a year-long happiness project inspired by Gretchen Rubin’s bestselling book. You’ll spend the year working month by month on areas like relationships, work, play, and energy, making steady, practical progress toward a happier life.
DESIGN YOUR YEAR
About 80% of New Year’s resolutions are abandoned by February. Based on decades of research, Gretchen Rubin’s “Design Your Year” tools offer a more realistic way to plan the year and make meaningful progress from January through December.
DESIGN YOUR YEAR
Join us for Move 26 in ’26
Research links physical activity to better sleep, clearer thinking, reduced anxiety, and more energy. Our 2026 challenge is to move for 26 minutes each day.
DESIGN YOUR YEAR
Choose your One-Word Theme for 2026
A One-Word Theme gives you a clear focus for the year ahead. Learn how to choose a word that guides your decisions, shapes your priorities, and keeps what matters most top of mind.
One of the best ways to make yourself happy is to make others happy. One of the best ways to make others happy is to be happy yourself.
THE MOMENT OF HAPPINESS CALENDAR
365 daily insights for 2026
Start each morning with a thoughtfully selected quotation. Updated for 2026, this page-a-day calendar offers a simple way to reflect, jot a note, or set your focus for the day.
THE HAPPIER PODCAST
Did We Get Everything Done on Our “25 for ’25” Lists? We Review & Reflect
As part of “Design Your Year,” each of us made a list of 25 things we wanted to accomplish in 2025; here, we report on what we got done—and what we didn’t.
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Gretchen Rubins “Five Things Making Me Happy” newsletter is one of today’s most popular newsletters. You’ll get a weekly round-up of what’s making Gretchen happy, as well as practical tips, research, and resources about how we can make our lives happier, healthier, more productive, and more creative.
Join more than one million subscribers and sign up for free. Find the most recent newsletter here.
WHAT'S NEW
Discover the latest articles and podcast episodes.
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Helpful tips, tools, and strategies for building (and breaking) habits.
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ABOUT GRETCHEN
About Gretchen
Hi, I’m Gretchen Rubin. For more than a decade, I’ve been studying human nature—the science of the soul. My happiness project is to understand myself, the people around me, and how we can move from good intentions to concrete actions to build happier lives.