The 3 secrets of happiness from The Happiness Project

Gretchen Rubin didn't set out to start her own happiness project because she wasn't happy. Life was actually pretty good. Wonderful husband, beautiful girls, highly educated and a very successful attorney. She wasn't depressed or having a mid-life crisis, she was discontent. She snapped at the cable guy, lost her temper often, felt dejected and suffered from insecurity and guilt. One day, on a crowded city bus, she realized "I'm not as happy as I could be." Ignoring the naysayers (who thought she was weird, crazy and already happy so why change anything), she decided to dedicate a year to trying to be happier.  Gretchen shares her story, experiences and learnings in her latest book, and New York Times Bestseller, The Happiness Project. And, it's GOOD. REAL GOOD. 

Here are 3 simple things we can all do, starting today, to be happier that Gretchen shared at the Mom 2.0 conference I attended last week.

1. Get more sleep. One of her friends claims, sleep is the new sex. Sleep happens to be my one word for 2010. And lately, I've been failing miserably at putting myself to bed early. What helped Gretchen: writing this resolution down, making the bedroom dark like a hotel room, doing light stretches before bedtime and no work-stuff before bed that will get the brain buzzing. It takes serious focus and discipline.   
2. Declutter your life. Gretchen started with visible things first. Every time she walked into her apartment - her energy felt instantly drained. Sound familiar? Her mothers advice on how to tackle clutter around the house: Make a list, do a little bit each day, and stay calm.  I love these 10 habits of highly organized people listed on Oprah.
3. Try something new every day. And if you fail at it, try it eight times before you give up. Great advice from Gretchen on a simple way to push through our fears. For inspiration, check out this bucket list of "100 things to do before you die"!

 The best part, anyone can start their own happiness project! To get started, check out Gretchen's The Happiness Project Toolbox with all the tools and inspiration you need to get started.

The perfect time to kick-it-off is now :)

Stop by MyInspirationLounge: a one-stop shop to find the best inspiration on the web to help you create change in minutes!

Subscribe to InspireMail for a burst of fresh air in your inbox!