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Gretchen Rubin

Goodreads Author

Born

Kansas City, Missouri, The United States

Website

http://www.gretchenrubin.com

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gretchenrubin

Genre

Nonfiction, Biographies & Memoirs, Health, Mind & Body

Member Since

July 2009

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https://www.goodreads.com/gretchen_rubin

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NEW AUDIBLE ORIGINAL AUDIOBOOK

In "Get It Done: How to Complete Your Dream Project," bestselling author Gretchen Rubin brings her signature approach to help you finally complete your dream project.

Drawing on her decades of knowledge of how people successfully change behavior, Rubin offers tools to help you break down any big project, stay focused, and keep moving forward. LISTEN ON AUDIBLE

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AUTHOR BIO

Gretchen Rubin is one of today’s most influential and thought-provoking observers of happiness and human nature.

She’s the author of many New York Times bestselling books, such as The Happiness Project, Better Than Before, and The Four Tendencies, Life in Five Senses, and Secrets of Adulthood, which have sold millions of copies in more than thi ...more

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Gretchen Rubin’s books

Average rating: 3.68 · 306,539 ratings · 28,973 reviews · 46 distinct works • Similar authors

	The Happiness Project 3.65 avg rating — 183,686 ratings — published 2009 — 127 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Better Than Before: Mastering the Habits of Our Everyday Lives 3.82 avg rating — 42,974 ratings — published 2015 — 62 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Four Tendencies: The Indispensable Personality Profiles That Reveal How to Make Your Life Better 3.83 avg rating — 24,462 ratings — published 2017 — 34 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Happier at Home: Kiss More, Jump More, Abandon a Project, Read Samuel Johnson, and My Other Experiments in the Practice of Everyday Life by Gretchen Rubin (Goodreads Author), Käthe Mazur (narrator) 3.55 avg rating — 20,548 ratings — published 2012 — 3 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Outer Order, Inner Calm: Declutter & Organize to Make More Room for Happiness 3.55 avg rating — 18,084 ratings — published 2019 — 25 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Life in Five Senses: How Exploring the Senses Got Me Out of My Head and Into the World 3.71 avg rating — 8,673 ratings — published 2023 — 25 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Secrets of Adulthood: Simple Truths for Our Complex Lives 3.32 avg rating — 4,086 ratings — 7 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Forty Ways to Look at Winston Churchill: A Brief Account of a Long Life 3.78 avg rating — 1,213 ratings — published 2003 — 17 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Happiness Project 2012 Calendar 3.64 avg rating — 690 ratings	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Get It Done: How to Complete Your Dream Project 3.77 avg rating — 408 ratings	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

More books by Gretchen Rubin…

2835 posts
Gretchen Rubin's Blog

Why September Is the Other January, and How to Take Advantage of This Clean Slate.

A previous version of this article appeared August 20, 2020

New Year’s Day isn’t the only time for a restart. Back-to-school season, or just getting back to your normal routine after summer, is a terrific time for a fresh beginning. That’s why September is the other January—a clean slate, a chance to use new pencils, fresh notebooks, and start again.

In fact, in my book Happ

Series by Gretchen Rubin

Better Than Before (1 book)
by

Gretchen Rubin (Goodreads Author)

3.82 avg rating — 43,173 ratings

"Motivation is what gets you started. Habit is what keeps you going." -Jim Rohn Ah, January! The time of optimistic promises,...

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Gretchen’s Recent Updates

Gretchen Rubin wrote a new blog post Why September Is the Other January, and How to Take Advantage of This Clean Slate. A previous version of this article appeared August 20, 2020 New Year’s Day isn’t the only time for a restart. Back-to-school s Read more of this blog post »
Aug 21, 2026 12:08AM · 3 likes · like
Gretchen Rubin has read Permanence: A Novel by Sophie Mackintosh	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Jul 31, 2026 12:55PM · 15 likes · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Permanence by Sophie Mackintosh. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Permanence by Sophie Mackintosh <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Gretchen Rubin has read The Diary of Virginia Woolf, Volume Two: 1920-1924 by Virginia Woolf	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Jul 31, 2026 12:55PM · 5 likes · like
Gretchen Rubin has read Bricks and Mortar by Helen Ashton	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Jul 31, 2026 12:54PM · 1 like · like
Gretchen Rubin has read The Dancing Bear by Peter Dickinson	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Jul 31, 2026 12:53PM · 1 like · like
Gretchen Rubin has read Greengates by R.C. Sherriff	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Jul 31, 2026 12:53PM · 1 like · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Greengates by R.C. Sherriff. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Greengates by R.C. Sherriff <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Gretchen Rubin finished reading The Summer Tree (The Fionavar Tapestry, #1) by Guy Gavriel Kay (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Jul 31, 2026 12:52PM · 3 likes · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of The Summer Tree by Guy Gavriel Kay. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — The Summer Tree by Guy Gavriel Kay <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Gretchen Rubin has read The Things We Never Say by Elizabeth Strout (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Jul 06, 2026 08:56AM · 16 likes · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of The Things We Never Say by Elizabeth Strout. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — The Things We Never Say by Elizabeth Strout <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Gretchen Rubin has read The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Jul 06, 2026 08:56AM · like
Gretchen Rubin has read The Diary of Virginia Woolf, Volume One: 1915-1919 by Virginia Woolf	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Jul 06, 2026 08:54AM · 1 like · like

More of Gretchen's books…

Quotes by Gretchen Rubin (?)

“The belief that unhappiness is selfless and happiness is selfish is misguided. It's more selfless to act happy. It takes energy, generosity, and discipline to be unfailingly lighthearted, yet everyone takes the happy person for granted. No one is careful of his feelings or tries to keep his spirits high. He seems self-sufficient; he becomes a cushion for others. And because happiness seems unforced, that person usually gets no credit.”
― Gretchen Rubin, The Happiness Project

tags: feelings, giving, happiness, selfishness, selflessness

714 likes

“The days are long, but the years are short.”
― Gretchen Rubin, The Happiness Project

467 likes

“Never start a sentence with the words 'No offense.”
― Gretchen Rubin, The Happiness Project

tags: hypocrisy, kindness, offensive, politeness, tact

251 likes

See all Gretchen Rubin's quotes »

Polls

Which nonfiction work would you like to read with our group during December and January? All our books are in accessible formats. Please vote here, and good luck!

A Woman of No Importance: The Untold Story of the American Spy Who Helped Win World War II by Sonia Purnell

49 votes, 32.0%

The Happiness Project: Or Why I Spent a Year Trying to Sing in the Morning, Clean My Closets, Fight Right, Read Aristotle, and Generally Have More Fun by Gretchen Rubin

40 votes, 26.1%

The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test by Tom Wolfe

27 votes, 17.6%

Digital Minimalism: Choosing a Focused Life in a Noisy World by Cal Newport

17 votes, 11.1%

The World of Yesterday by Stefan Zweig

13 votes, 8.5%

The Orientalist: Solving the Mystery of a Strange and Dangerous Life by Tom Reiss

7 votes, 4.6%

153 total votes

1 comment

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The Seasonal Read...: WINTER CHALLENGE 2009-2010 COMPLETED TASKS	3143	3271	Feb 28, 2010 09:02PM
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The Seasonal Read...: Fall Challenge 2010 Completed Tasks (do NOT delete any posts in this thread)	2785	1216	Nov 30, 2010 09:03PM

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Gretchen’s Quotes

“There is no duty we so much underrate as the duty of being happy.”
― Robert Louis Stevenson, An Apology for Idlers

tags: happiness, inspiration

61 likes

Gretchen’s Friend Comments

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message 1: by Luisa

Aug 19, 2009 04:07AM

I love Flannery O'Connor's works. But then I like a variety of writers and different genres.

Good seeing a title I hadn't read.

Luisa

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Gretchen Rubin's Blog

Why September Is the Other January, and How to Take Advantage of This Clean Slate.

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Gretchen’s Recent Updates

Why September Is the Other January, and How to Take Advantage of This Clean Slate.

See a Problem?

Preview — Permanence by Sophie Mackintosh

See a Problem?

Preview — Greengates by R.C. Sherriff

See a Problem?

Preview — The Summer Tree by Guy Gavriel Kay

See a Problem?

Preview — The Things We Never Say by Elizabeth Strout

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Gretchen Rubin’s Followers (151,093)

Gretchen Rubin

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rssGretchen’s Recent Updates

See a Problem?

Preview — Permanence by Sophie Mackintosh

See a Problem?

Preview — Greengates by R.C. Sherriff

See a Problem?

Preview — The Summer Tree by Guy Gavriel Kay

See a Problem?

Preview — The Things We Never Say by Elizabeth Strout

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