Try to never say 'yes' on the phone; instead, say, 'I'll get back to you.' When you're actually speaking to someone, the desire to be accommodating is very strong, and can lead you to say 'yes' without enough consideration. Gretchen Rubin accommodatebackconsideration share on social
People are powerfully moved by imagination, belief, and knowledge. They can consider the past and future. They can make changes in their behavior out of reason in a way that animals can't do. Gretchen Rubin animalbehaviorbelief Change image and share on social
One of the most important elements of my identity is my identity as a reader. I love to read - really, if I'm honest with myself, it's practically the only activity that I truly love to do. Gretchen Rubin activityelementhonest Change image and share on social
For quotes, I have one document for general quotes; the other for happiness-related quotes, which I use for the 'Moment of Happiness,' my daily emails of happiness quotes. Gretchen Rubin dailydocumentemail Change image and share on social
They say that people teach what they need to learn. By adopting the role of happiness teacher, if only for myself, I was trying to find the method to conquer my particular faults and limitations. Gretchen Rubin adoptconquerfault Change image and share on social
'Potato-chip news' is news that's repetitive, requires little effort to absorb, and is consumable in massive quantities: true crime, natural disasters, political punditry, celebrity gossip, sports gossip, or endless photographs of beautiful houses, food, or clothes. Gretchen Rubin absorbbeautifulcelebrity share on social
One thing I wish I could tell my younger self: take photos of everyday life, not special occasions; later, that's what will be interesting to you. Gretchen Rubin everydayinterestlife Change image and share on social
Happiness is a critical factor for work, and work is a critical factor for happiness. In one of those life-isn't-fair results, it turns out that the happy outperform the less happy. Happy people work more hours each week - and they work more in their free time, too. Gretchen Rubin criticalfactorfair share on social
Do I need fifty finger-painted pictures by my toddler, or is one enough to capture this time of life? Mementos work best when they're carefully chosen - and when they don't take up much room! Gretchen Rubin capturecarefullychoose Change image and share on social
Superstition is the irrational belief that an object or behavior has the power to influence an outcome, when there's no logical connection between them. Most of us aren't superstitious - but most of us are a 'littlestitious.' Gretchen Rubin behaviorbeliefconnection share on social
