Your Happiness Project: Do Something EVERY DAY. | Gretchen Rubin [Skip to content](#content) [ ![](https://gretchenrubin.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/gretchenrubin-logo-768x344.png) ](https://gretchenrubin.com) - January 30, 2009 - [Mindfulness](https://gretchenrubin.com/tag/mindfulness/) # Your Happiness Project: Do Something EVERY DAY. ![The Happiness Project Blog Logo](https://gretchenrubin.com/wp-content/uploads/2006/03/GR_THP_Blog_2006-2014_header_image.png) A few days ago, I observed that it’s often easier for me to do something every day than to do it some days. I post to my blog six days a week. I take notes every day. I write in my one-sentence journal every day. Many people have told me that they find it easier to exercise when they exercise every day. If I try to do something four days a week, I spend a lot of time arguing with myself about whether today is the day, or tomorrow, or the next day; did the week start on Sunday or Monday; etc. If you do something every day, you tend to fall into a routine, and routine has a bad reputation. It’s true that novelty and challenge bring happiness, and that people who break their routines, try new things, and go new places are happier, but I think that some routine activities also bring happiness. The pleasure of doing the same thing, in the same way, every day, shouldn’t be overlooked. By re-framing, you can find happiness in activities like doing dishes or sweeping the floor, as well as your beloved morning coffee-and-newspaper. **The things you do every day take on a certain beauty, and provide a kind of invisible architecture to daily life.** Funnily enough, two geniuses whom I associate with the idea of the unconventional wrote about the power of doing something every day. Andy Warhol wrote, “Either *once only*, or *every day*. If you do something once it’s exciting, and if you do it every day it’s exciting. But if you do it, say, twice or just almost every day, it’s not good any more.” Gertrude Stein made a related point: “Anything one does every day is important and imposing and anywhere one lives is interesting and beautiful.” **So if there’s something that you wish you did more regularly, try doing it every day; if you do something every day, revel in it.** *From 2006 through 2014, as she wrote* The Happiness Project *and* Happier at Home*, Gretchen chronicled her thoughts, observations, and discoveries on* The Happiness Project Blog. #### YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE ![white concrete building under blue sky during daytime](https://gretchenrubin.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/86yymewx5jc-768x509.jpg) [My Visits to the Met Reminded Me of This Profound Truth](https://gretchenrubin.com/articles/my-visits-to-the-met-reminded-me-of-this-profound-truth/) ![assorted-colored cactus](https://gretchenrubin.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/gqd3av_9a88-768x512.jpg) [50 Tips to Get Out of Your Head Using Your Five Senses—Right Now](https://gretchenrubin.com/articles/tips-for-how-to-get-out-of-your-head/) ![Letters spelling "Start Now"](https://gretchenrubin.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/sincerely-media-gG86PdIzUA-unsplash-2-768x576.jpg) [One-Word Themes for 2023](https://gretchenrubin.com/articles/one-word-themes-for-2023/) #### DISCOVER MORE # Like what you see? Explore more about this topic. - [Mindfulness](https://gretchenrubin.com/secondary_tag/mindfulness/) # Interested in happiness, habits, and human nature? From renowned happiness expert and *New York Times* bestselling author Gretchen Rubin, the “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. Email Submit Manage Cookie Consent To provide the best experiences, we use technologies like cookies to store and/or access device information. Consenting to these technologies will allow us to process data such as browsing behavior or unique IDs on this site. Not consenting or withdrawing consent, may adversely affect certain features and functions. Functional Functional Always active The technical storage or access is strictly necessary for the legitimate purpose of enabling the use of a specific service explicitly requested by the subscriber or user, or for the sole purpose of carrying out the transmission of a communication over an electronic communications network. Preferences Preferences The technical storage or access is necessary for the legitimate purpose of storing preferences that are not requested by the subscriber or user. Statistics Statistics The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for statistical purposes. The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for anonymous statistical purposes. Without a subpoena, voluntary compliance on the part of your Internet Service Provider, or additional records from a third party, information stored or retrieved for this purpose alone cannot usually be used to identify you. Marketing Marketing The technical storage or access is required to create user profiles to send advertising, or to track the user on a website or across several websites for similar marketing purposes. - [Manage options](#) - [Manage services](#) - [Manage {vendor\_count} vendors](#) - [Read more about these purposes](https://cookiedatabase.org/tcf/purposes/) Accept Deny View preferences Save preferences [View preferences](#) - [{title}](#) - [{title}](#) - [{title}](#) Manage consent # Subscribe to Gretchen’s newsletter. Every Friday, Gretchen Rubin shares 5 things that are making her happier, asks readers and listeners questions, and includes exclusive updates and behind-the-scenes material. Email Submit ; ![](https://www.facebook.com/tr?id=1375714196636303&ev=PageView&noscript=1&cd%5Bpost_category%5D=Articles&cd%5Bpage_title%5D=Your+Happiness+Project%3A+Do+Something+EVERY+DAY.&cd%5Bpost_type%5D=post&cd%5Bpost_id%5D=5132&cd%5Bplugin%5D=PixelYourSite&cd%5Buser_role%5D=guest&cd%5Bevent_url%5D=gretchenrubin.com%2Farticles%2Fyour-happiness-project-do-something-every-day%2F) [x](# "Close optin form")Subscribe to Gretchen's newsletter Every Friday, Gretchen Rubin shares 5 things that are making her happier, asks readers and listeners questions, and includes exclusive updates and behind-the-scenes material. We promise not to spam you. You can unsubscribe at any time. Invalid email address Thanks for subscribing! [x](# "Close optin form") ![Blue and yellow pens on blue background](https://gretchenrubin.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/cropped-cropped-DSC5980-scaled-e1663786433795.jpg) Join more than One Million Subscribers # Get happiness delivered to your inbox. From renowned happiness expert and *New York Times* bestselling author Gretchen Rubin, the “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. [Privacy Policy]() Invalid email address Onward! Thank you for subscribing.