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" I love cunning containers as much as anyone, but I've found that if I get rid of everything I don't need, I often don't need a container at all. "
Gretchen Rubin
Much
Love
Everything
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" Whenever I start a new book, I think, 'This is the most interesting subject of all time. It's sad, I'll never enjoy writing another book as much as I enjoy this one.' Every time, I'm convinced. And then I change my mind when I start the next book. "
Gretchen Rubin
Mind
Sad
Time
" I'm always trying to figure out ways to keep hold of memories. My one-sentence journal, for instance. "
Gretchen Rubin
Hold
Always
Trying
" Sometimes, counter-intuitively, it's easier to make a major change than a minor change. When a habit is changing very gradually, we may lose interest, give way under stress, or dismiss the change as insignificant. There's an excitement and an energy that comes from a big transformation, and that helps to create a habit. "
Gretchen Rubin
Change
Stress
Habit
" Embrace good smells. No cost, no calories, no energy, no time - a quick hit of pleasure. "
Gretchen Rubin
Time
Pleasure
Good
" I read a lot, all the time, but often I read books for research, or because they're interesting to me in some way, even if they aren't exactly 'pleasurable.' "
Gretchen Rubin
Research
Interesting
Me
" If you've had something for more than six months, and it's still not repaired, it's clutter. "
Gretchen Rubin
You
More
Something
" 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
" An enormous amount of ingenuity and creativity goes into commercials, and they can be fascinating if you pay attention. "
Gretchen Rubin
You
Attention
Creativity
" Most decisions don't require extensive research. "
Gretchen Rubin
Require
Most
Decisions
" It's so easy to use tired, shopworn figures of speech. I love using long, fancy words but have learned - mostly from writing my biography of Winston Churchill - that short, strong words work better. I am ever-vigilant against the passive and against jargon, both of which are so insidious. "
Gretchen Rubin
Words
I Am
Love
" No leader did more for his country than Winston Churchill. Brave, magnanimous, traditional, he was like a king-general from Britain's heroic past. His gigantic qualities set him apart from ordinary humanity; there seemed no danger he feared, no effort too great for his limitless energies. "
Gretchen Rubin
Effort
Brave
Him
" 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
" When you're doing a job that benefits other people, it's easy to assume that they feel conscious of the fact that you're doing this work - that they should feel grateful, and that they should and do feel guilty about not helping you. "
Gretchen Rubin
You
Job
Grateful
" I'm much calmer when there's no TV or music playing in the background. "
Gretchen Rubin
Playing
Music
Much
" I'm constantly on the hunt for insights about happiness or ideas about how to be happier - which probably makes me a somewhat tiresome companion at times. "
Gretchen Rubin
Me
Happiness
Ideas
" If you'd like to watch less television, try putting the remote away in a very inconvenient place and making yourself put it away every time you use it. If it's a big pain to turn on the TV and to change channels, you might find yourself drifting to other activities that will be more satisfying in the long run. "
Gretchen Rubin
Pain
Change
Long
" 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
" One thing I wish I could tell my younger self: take photos of everyday life, not special occasions; later, that's what will be interesting to you. "
Gretchen Rubin
Life
You
Wish
" My writing tends to become very dense, so I have to keep some cushion. Sometimes, words that seem superfluous are actually essential for the overall effect. "
Gretchen Rubin
Words
Writing
Sometimes
" The biggest waste of time is to do well something that we need not do at all. "
Gretchen Rubin
Well
Waste
Waste Of Time
" 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
" Accept yourself and expect more from yourself. "
Gretchen Rubin
Accept
Yourself
More
" Skillful conversationalists can explore disagreements and make points in ways that feel constructive and positive rather than combative or corrective. "
Gretchen Rubin
Explore
Feel
Positive
" Give warm greetings and farewells. I was surprised by how much this resolution changed the atmosphere of my home. "
Gretchen Rubin
Warm
Atmosphere
Home
" Work done by other people sounds easy. How hard can it be to take care of a newborn who sleeps 20 hours a day? How hard can it be to keep track of your billable hours? To travel for one night for business? To get a 4-year-old ready for school? To return a few phone calls? To load the dishwasher? To fill out some forms? "
Gretchen Rubin
School
Work
Travel
" 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
" 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
" Most people enjoy 'potato-chip news' from time to time - to track a presidential election or the Oscars. However, some are particularly drawn to material that makes them feel shocked, frightened, insecure, or indignant, and that's what potato-chip news often provides. "
Gretchen Rubin
Feel
Election
Enjoy
" People often assume that the same approach will work for everyone, that the same habits will work for everyone, and that everyone has the same aptitude and appetite for forming habits, but from my observation, that's not true. "
Gretchen Rubin
People
Work
True
" When I became obsessed with Winston Churchill, I wrote a book about Churchill. What a joy it was to write that book! "
Gretchen Rubin
Book
Wrote
About