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" I get such a buzz out of cleaning closets. "
Gretchen Rubin
Cleaning
Buzz
Out
Related Quotes:
" I do better with routines and predictability. I don't react well when there's a sudden change in the schedule. "
Gretchen Rubin
Schedule
Change
React
" When Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain's government fell in May 1940, the nation turned to Churchill. At last, his unique qualities were brought to bear on a supreme challenge, and with his unshakable optimism, his heroic vision, and above all, his splendid speeches, Churchill roused the spirit of the British people. "
Gretchen Rubin
People
Vision
Challenge
" I have a lucky perfume. I love beautiful smells, but I save one of my favorite perfumes to wear only when I feel like I need some extra luck. "
Gretchen Rubin
Perfume
Beautiful
Feel
" The more I examine the issue of clutter, the more effort I put into combating it, because it really does act as a weight. "
Gretchen Rubin
More
Act
Effort
" If you're impatient while waiting for the bus, tell yourself you're doing 'Bus waiting meditation.' If you're standing in a slow line at the drugstore, you're doing 'Waiting in line meditation.' Just saying these words makes me feel very spiritual and high-minded and wise. "
Gretchen Rubin
Wise
Yourself
Waiting
" One of the best ways to make yourself happy in the present is to recall happy times from the past. Photos are a great memory-prompt, and because we tend to take photos of happy occasions, they weight our memories to the good. "
Gretchen Rubin
Past
Memories
Happy
" A series of small but real accomplishments gives people the energy and confidence to continue. For instance, a person who wants to write a novel might resolve to write one sentence each day. Or a person who wants to start running might resolve to run for one minute. "
Gretchen Rubin
People
Confidence
Day
" Like most people, I have several pet subjects - that may or may not be interesting to other people. Don't get me started on happiness, or habits, or children's literature, or Winston Churchill, unless you really want to talk about it. "
Gretchen Rubin
People
Children
Happiness
" When accepting a responsibility, imagine that it's something that you'll have to do next week. That way you don't agree to something just because it seems so far off that it doesn't seem onerous. "
Gretchen Rubin
Just Because
You
Week
" Many people keep photos in their homes, in their office, or in their wallet, and happy families tend to display large numbers of photos at home. In 'Happier at Home,' I write about my 'shrine to my family' made of photographs. "
Gretchen Rubin
Home
Numbers
Happy
" Whenever I'm trying to decide how to spend my precious time, energy, or money, I ask myself a series of questions. 'Will this broaden or deepen my relationships?' 'Will this contribute to an atmosphere of growth in my life?' 'Is this a way to 'Be Gretchen?' and 'Will this help connect me to my past?' "
Gretchen Rubin
Myself
Time
Money
" Take the perspective of a journalist or scientist. Really study what's around you. What are people wearing, what do the interiors of buildings look like, what noises do you hear? If you bring your analytical powers to bear, you can make almost anything interesting. "
Gretchen Rubin
People
Interesting
Look
" 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
Desire
You
Strong
" An enormous amount of ingenuity and creativity goes into commercials, and they can be fascinating if you pay attention. "
Gretchen Rubin
You
Attention
Creativity
" If I can do something in less than one minute, I don't let myself procrastinate. I hang up my coat, put newspapers in the recycling, scan and toss a letter. Ever since I wrote about this rule in 'The Happiness Project,' I've been amazed by how many people have told me that it has made a huge difference in their lives. "
Gretchen Rubin
Happiness
People
Up
" Turn off your email; turn off your phone; disconnect from the Internet; figure out a way to set limits so you can concentrate when you need to, and disengage when you need to. Technology is a good servant but a bad master. "
Gretchen Rubin
You
Technology
Limits
" Working is one of the most dangerous forms of procrastination. "
Gretchen Rubin
Procrastination
Dangerous
Working
" I have a terrible memory of my own past. I can barely remember my childhood. I have few memories from college and law school - though once I got married, I got the advantage of being able to consult my husband's memory. "
Gretchen Rubin
Childhood
Memories
School
" 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
Teacher
People
Need
" In 'Happier at Home,' I write a lot about my struggle to create an unhurried atmosphere at home. "
Gretchen Rubin
Happier
Write
Create
" Remember that although the distinction can be difficult to draw, loneliness and solitude are different. "
Gretchen Rubin
Remember
Loneliness
Solitude
" I embrace treats, but I'm also very wary of treats. Treats help us feel energized, appreciated, and enthusiastic - but very often, the things we choose as 'treats' aren't good for us. The pleasure lasts a minute, but then feelings of guilt, loss of control, and other negative consequences just deepen the lousiness of the day. "
Gretchen Rubin
Negative
Day
Help
" 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
General
Moment
Other
" Don't let yourself fall into 'empty.' Keep cash in the house. Keep gas in your tank. Keep an extra roll of toilet paper squirreled away. Keep your phone charged. "
Gretchen Rubin
Yourself
Phone
Fall
" Children's literature is one of my joys, and it's also my mental comfort food. "
Gretchen Rubin
Food
Literature
Children
" As goofy as it sounds, I try to sing in the morning. It's hard both to sing and to maintain a grouchy mood, and it sets a happy tone for everyone - particularly in my case, because I'm tone deaf, and my audience finds my singing a source of great hilarity. "
Gretchen Rubin
Great
Deaf
Singing
" For notes related to books I'm writing, I've wondered whether I should organize my notes better, but I do find that the action or scrolling through them and seeing odd juxtapositions of ideas helps to stimulate my own ideas and creativity. I worry that if I kept the notes in a highly-structured way, I might lose some of these benefits. "
Gretchen Rubin
Ideas
Lose
Writing
" One of my most important 'Secrets of Adulthood': Outer order contributes to inner calm. "
Gretchen Rubin
Important
Adulthood
Secrets
" I've always loved 'Before and After' stories, in books, magazines, and TV shows. Whenever I read those words, I'm hooked. The thought of a transformation - any kind of transformation - thrills me. And that's the promise of habits. "
Gretchen Rubin
Loved
Thought
Words
" I always feel calmer when I exercise. In fact, that's probably the main reason I exercise. "
Gretchen Rubin
Always
Reason
Feel