Gretchen’s Happiness Project

I haven't talked about Gretchen Rubin's Happiness Project blog in awhile, but it remains one of my favorite blogs, for admittedly selfish reasons — whenever I read it, I feel a little better about myself and feel like I learned something.  Gretchen blends stories, opinions, and research with an authentic and rather charming writing voice that is a delight.  I think her message — look at her 12 commandments — is especially helpful during these tough times.

I especially liked her eight tips for dealing with criticism on Wednesday, which I need to keep mind. See the details here:

1. Listen to what a critic is saying.

2. Don’t be defensive. 

3. Don’t fire back by criticizing your critic.

4. Delay your reaction.

5. Explain honestly the reason for your actions.

6. Admit your mistakes.

7. Explain what you’ve learned.

8. Enjoy the fun of failure.

I especially like the last one. Diego and I talk about how "failure sucks but instructs," I think Gretchen is reaching for a higher level of happiness. 

One more thought on happiness, I was talking with a colleague a few weeks about the research on creativity and emotion.  I will eventually write a longer post on this, but the upshot is that "Don't Worry, be Happy" is a great song, but for creativity and decision-making, the best approach is probably "Do worry, be happy,"  or being a "Happy worrier" is the path to excellence.

Happy New Year, by the way.