Gretchen Rubin
Writer on happiness, habits and human nature. Author of The Happiness Project, Better Than Before and The Four Tendencies, and host of the Happier with Gretchen Rubin podcast.
Gretchen Rubin did not write this page.
We collected these quotes from things they published elsewhere, and every quote links to where it was said. They have no account here and have not endorsed this site. Quotes are word for word; the short line under each one is our own restatement, not their wording. Their own site. Is this you? Claim it or ask us to remove it. Or tell us what is wrong here.
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Their wordsCelebrating minor holidays makes time stand out. Because the day is unusual, it’s more memorable.
↗Why I Celebrate Minor Holidays (And How You Can Use Them to Boost Happiness)gretchenrubin.com
- 2 days earlier
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Their wordsThe Little House series is one of the greatest masterpieces in children’s literature.
↗My Favorite Children’s & Young-Adult Booksgretchenrubin.com
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Their wordsRoald Dahl is one of the most distinctive writers ever. Hilarious, absurd, deliciously twisted.
↗My Favorite Children’s & Young-Adult Booksgretchenrubin.com
- 5 weeks earlier
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Their wordsMonitoring has an almost uncanny power. It doesn’t require change, but it often leads to change, because people who keep close track of just about anything tend to do a better job of managing it.
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Their wordsIf you’re having trouble keeping a morning routine, try to know yourself better, and to adapt the routine to suit you. No tool fits every hand.
- 6 days earlier
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Our reading
An unstarted, unresolved task is more mentally exhausting than almost any other kind of task.
Their wordsNothing is more exhausting than the task that's never started.
↗How to Tackle a Nagging Task: Power Hour!gretchenrubin.com 1st of 3 in this piece
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Their wordsSomething that can be done at any time is often done at no time.
↗How to Tackle a Nagging Task: Power Hour!gretchenrubin.com 2nd of 3 in this piece
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Their wordsAn idea expressed in rhyme seems more convincing, which is why "Haste makes waste" is more compelling than "Hurrying fosters error."
↗How to Tackle a Nagging Task: Power Hour!gretchenrubin.com 3rd of 3 in this piece
- 6 weeks earlier
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Their wordsObligers, the most common Tendency, tend to work well alongside every other Tendency, which makes them worth having on any team.
↗What’s the Right Mix of The Four Tendencies in a Team?gretchenrubin.com 1st of 3 in this piece
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Their wordsBut this concentration weakens a team, because you end up with too much of certain qualities, and not enough of others.
↗What’s the Right Mix of The Four Tendencies in a Team?gretchenrubin.com 2nd of 3 in this piece
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Their wordsIf you keep adding deadlines without also checking whether the workload itself is sustainable, you risk what I call Obliger-rebellion-the point where an Obliger who has met, met, met, and met expectations suddenly snaps and refuses to meet any more.
↗What’s the Right Mix of The Four Tendencies in a Team?gretchenrubin.com 3rd of 3 in this piece
- 6 days earlier
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Their wordsour Tendency is a hard-wired part of our nature. It's not a product of upbringing, generation, birth order, nationality-it's part of our inborn nature.
↗Want to Be a Happier Parent? My “Four Tendencies” Personality Framework May Help.gretchenrubin.com 1st of 2 in this piece
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Their wordswhen you remind Rebels to do a task, you're very likely making it less likely that they will do it.
↗Want to Be a Happier Parent? My “Four Tendencies” Personality Framework May Help.gretchenrubin.com 2nd of 2 in this piece
- 8 days earlier
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Their wordsIn unconscious overclaiming, we unconsciously overestimate our contributions relative to others.
↗How to Stop Arguing About Household Chores: 13 Strategies for Couplesgretchenrubin.com 1st of 2 in this piece
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Their wordsBut it's also true that when I change, a relationship changes; when I change, the atmosphere of my household changes; when I change, others may imitate me.
↗How to Stop Arguing About Household Chores: 13 Strategies for Couplesgretchenrubin.com 2nd of 2 in this piece
- 3 weeks earlier
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health and fitnessbehavioural science
Their wordsResearch shows that children are far better able to sit still, focus, and learn when they've had the exercise, sunlight, freedom, and fun of recess. The same is true for adults.
↗This Summer, Design a Daily Recess: 7 Ways to Have More Fungretchenrubin.com 1st of 2 in this piece
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Their wordsWhat's fun for others might not be fun for you, and vice versa.
↗This Summer, Design a Daily Recess: 7 Ways to Have More Fungretchenrubin.com 2nd of 2 in this piece
- 6 days earlier
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Their wordsYelling and nagging may seem effective in the moment ("I'm getting them to put on their shoes!"), but the cost is tension, sulking, and guilt.
↗How to Be a Happier, Calmer Parent: 16 Things to Try Instead of Yellinggretchenrubin.com 1st of 2 in this piece
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Our reading
Parental stress and sleep deprivation make harsh reactions to normal child behavior more likely.
Their wordsWhen a parent is stressed, low on sleep, or otherwise depleted, they may be even more prone to reacting harshly to normal kid behavior and boundary-pushing.
↗How to Be a Happier, Calmer Parent: 16 Things to Try Instead of Yellinggretchenrubin.com 2nd of 2 in this piece
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Our reading
Their wordsThe days are long, but the years are short.
↗The Happiness Project (HarperCollins, 2009)archive.org All 5 from this book
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Their wordsOne of the best ways to make yourself happy is to make other people happy.
↗The Happiness Project (HarperCollins, 2009)archive.org All 5 from this book
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Their wordsWhat you do every day matters more than what you do once in a while.
↗The Happiness Project (HarperCollins, 2009)archive.org All 5 from this book
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Our reading
Their wordsHappiness doesn't always make you feel happy.
↗The Happiness Project (HarperCollins, 2009)archive.org All 5 from this book
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Our reading
Their wordsstriving to be happy isn't a selfish act.
↗The Happiness Project (HarperCollins, 2009)archive.org All 5 from this book