In this episode of Art of Authenticity I had a thoughtful conversation with Gretchen Rubin, the author of The Happiness Project and other NYT bestselling books.Gretchen Rubin is the author of several books, including the blockbuster New York Times bestsellers, Better Than Before, The Happiness Project and Happier at Home. She has an enormous readership, both in print and online, and her books have sold more than two million copies worldwide, in more than thirty languages.She also has a top podcast called Happier with Gretchen Rubin. It is a podcast where she discusses good habits and happiness with her sister Elizabeth Craft.I had so much fun on this podcast because Gretchen came in and laid out some incredible habits. Such as, how to structure you day or how to stay organized. I do think there are a couple of things to do that are simple and easy, but as far as wake up in the morning at five AM, going for a jog, and then meditate, I just don’t ever feel like there is a one size fits all answer.Gretchen comes in and she just crushes this point. Essentially, the answer is that you have got to do it in a way that works for you and let go of this prescriptive model that there is a one size fits all way of setting up habits in your life. Most of us are failing because we are not being honest about what works for us. We don’t know how we operate, so we don’t know how to make the changes we desire. Gretchen lays this out and I’m telling you, really worth tuning in.

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Show Notes

  • How Gretchen went from being a supreme court justice to becoming a writer. [4:11]

  • The importance of wanting to “talk shop” and following your passion. [5:19]

  • What inspired Gretchen’s first book, Power, Money, Fame, Sex: The users guide. [6:25]

  • Why Gretchen decide that she would rather fail as a writer than be successful as a lawyer. [8:10]

  • How The Happiness Project started out as just a person project for Gretchen in her own life. [10:13]

  • Why incorporating social media and branding is unique to each style of writer. [13:25]

  • What it means to shine a light on the ideas of others and how it can benefit you as an authority in the space. [14:58]

  • Why habit formation has no one-size-fits-all guide, and no one way is right or wrong. [18:25]

  • How to better implement habits and change your lifestyle by identifying the root problem. [26:04]

  • Gretchen shares in detail the tendencies she describes in her new book, The Four Tendencies. [29:06]

  • Learn why it is important not to get in other people’s way, but instead help them find what works best for them. [37:34]

  • Why identifying who we envy can help us to learn more about who we are ourselves. [46:06]

  • Hear Gretchen’s view on whether or not you can be happy when you live an inauthentic life. [48:46]

More About Gretchen

Episode Resources