Becoming a parent can be one of the most transformative, and instructive, experiences of our lives. These four “Secrets of Adulthood” examine some of the most important lessons parenthood can teach us.

Resources & links related to this episode:
Open-door stage
Secrets of Adulthood
A version of this piece was originally published on the CNBC site.


Get in touch: podcast@gretchenrubin.com

Visit Gretchen's website to learn more about Gretchen's best-selling books, products from The Happiness Project Collection, and the Happier app.

Find the transcript for this episode on the episode details page in the Apple Podcasts app. 

Becoming a parent can be one of the most transformative, and instructive, experiences of our lives. These four &ldquo;Secrets of Adulthood&rdquo; examine some of the most important lessons parenthood can teach us.
Resources &amp; links related to this episode:
<ul>
<li><a href="https://gretchenrubin.com/podcast/forecast-your-foibles-a-big-life-change-amp-the-correct-way-to-load-a-dishwasher/" data-wplink-edit="true">Open-door stage</a></li>
<li><a href="https://gretchenrubin.com/books/secrets-of-adulthood/">Secrets of Adulthood</a></li>
<li>A version of this piece was&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2025/05/11/i-am-a-mom-and-happiness-researcher-life-lessons-about-how-to-be-happy-parents.html">originally published</a>&nbsp;on the CNBC site.</li>
</ul>
 Get in touch: <a href="mailto:podcast@gretchenrubin.com">podcast@gretchenrubin.com</a>
Visit<a href="https://gretchenrubin.com/">&nbsp;Gretchen's website</a>&nbsp;to learn more about Gretchen's best-selling books, products from The Happiness Project Collection, and the&nbsp;Happier&nbsp;app.
Find the transcript for this episode on the episode details page in the Apple Podcasts app.&nbsp;

Gretchen Rubin is HAPPIER, and she wants you to be happier too. The #1 bestselling author of The Happiness Project and Better Than Before gets more personal than ever as she brings her practical, manageable advice about happiness and good habits to this lively, thought-provoking podcast. Gretchen’s cohost and guinea pig is her younger sister, Elizabeth Craft, a TV writer and producer living in Los Angeles, who (lovingly) refers to Gretchen as her happiness bully. 

Sales and Distribution by Lemonada Media https://lemonadamedia.com/  

Gretchen Rubin is HAPPIER, and she wants you to be happier too. The #1 bestselling author of The Happiness Project and Better Than Before gets more personal than ever as she brings her practical, manageable advice about happiness and good habits to this lively, thought-provoking podcast. Gretchen&rsquo;s cohost and guinea pig is her younger sister, Elizabeth Craft, a TV writer and producer living in Los Angeles, who (lovingly) refers to Gretchen as her happiness bully.&nbsp;
Sales and Distribution by Lemonada Media <a href="https://lemonadamedia.com/" data-stringify-link="https://lemonadamedia.com/" data-sk="tooltip_parent">https://lemonadamedia.com/</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;

How to Build Happier Habits into Your Daily Life

Happier with Gretchen Rubin

Little Happier: Four Helpful “Secrets of Adulthood” for Parents

As one of the three “Design Your Year” exercises, we each wrote a list of 26 things we want to accomplish in 2026. Some repeats, some new.

Resources & links related to this episode:
Design Your Year hub 
One last reminder to sign up for The Happiness Project Revisited course
I Want You to Know: My Portrait of You 
Elizabeth is reading: Apple in China: The Capture of the World’s Greatest Company by Patrick McGee (Amazon, Bookshop) 
Gretchen is rereading: The English Understand Wool by Helen Dewitt (Amazon, Bookshop) 


Get in touch: podcast@gretchenrubin.com

Visit Gretchen's website to learn more about Gretchen's best-selling books, products from The Happiness Project Collection, and the Happier app.

Find the transcript for this episode on the episode details page in the Apple Podcasts app. 

As one of the three &ldquo;Design Your Year&rdquo; exercises, we each wrote a list of 26 things we want to accomplish in 2026. Some repeats, some new.
Resources &amp; links related to this episode:
<ul>
<li><a href="http://happiercast.com/designyouryear">Design Your Year hub&nbsp;</a></li>
<li><a href="http://happiercast.com/course">One last reminder to sign up for The Happiness Project Revisited course</a></li>
<li><a href="https://the-happiness-project.com/products/i-want-you-to-know?srsltid=AfmBOop_d3rNX3UIIQlCeUjaDB1dFxGsmPapwhH_9z8vcIZWTSUjW0RR">I Want You to Know: My Portrait of You</a>&nbsp;</li>
<li>Elizabeth is reading: Apple in China: The Capture of the World&rsquo;s Greatest Company by Patrick McGee (<a href="https://amzn.to/4soqv3N">Amazon</a>, <a href="https://bookshop.org/a/15926/9781668053379">Bookshop</a>)&nbsp;</li>
<li>Gretchen is rereading: The English Understand Wool by Helen Dewitt&nbsp;(<a href="https://amzn.to/4smbVK2">Amazon</a>, <a href="https://bookshop.org/a/15926/9780811230070">Bookshop</a>)&nbsp;</li>
</ul>
 Get in touch: <a href="mailto:podcast@gretchenrubin.com">podcast@gretchenrubin.com</a>
Visit<a href="https://gretchenrubin.com/">&nbsp;Gretchen's website</a>&nbsp;to learn more about Gretchen's best-selling books, products from The Happiness Project Collection, and the&nbsp;Happier&nbsp;app.
Find the transcript for this episode on the episode details page in the Apple Podcasts app.&nbsp;

Ep. 568: Revealed! Our “26 for 2026” Lists

In his speaking, Winston Churchill often deliberately made mistakes. He understood that an imperfect speech would be more persuasive and moving than a perfect speech, and he chose to make his performance better by making it worse.

Resources & links related to this episode:



Get in touch: podcast@gretchenrubin.com

Visit Gretchen's website to learn more about Gretchen's best-selling books, products from The Happiness Project Collection, and the Happier app.

Find the transcript for this episode on the episode details page in the Apple Podcasts app. 

In his speaking, Winston Churchill often deliberately made mistakes. He understood that an imperfect speech would be more persuasive and moving than a perfect speech, and he chose to make his performance better by making it worse.
Resources &amp; links related to this episode:
<ul>
<li></li>
</ul>
 Get in touch: <a href="mailto:podcast@gretchenrubin.com">podcast@gretchenrubin.com</a>
Visit<a href="https://gretchenrubin.com/">&nbsp;Gretchen's website</a>&nbsp;to learn more about Gretchen's best-selling books, products from The Happiness Project Collection, and the&nbsp;Happier&nbsp;app.
Find the transcript for this episode on the episode details page in the Apple Podcasts app.&nbsp;

A Little Happier: Why Would an Accomplished Juggler Deliberately Drop a Prop?

Just in time for January, I joined NPR’s “Life Kit” to talk about New Year’s resolutions, why they fail, and a more effective way to build better habits and make real progress in 2026.

Get in touch: podcast@gretchenrubin.com

Visit Gretchen's website to learn more about Gretchen's best-selling books, products from The Happiness Project Collection, and the Happier app.

Find the transcript for this episode on the episode details page in the Apple Podcasts app. 

Just in time for January, I joined NPR&rsquo;s &ldquo;Life Kit&rdquo; to talk about New Year&rsquo;s resolutions, why they fail, and a more effective way to build better habits and make real progress in 2026.
Get in touch: <a href="mailto:podcast@gretchenrubin.com">podcast@gretchenrubin.com</a>
Visit<a href="https://gretchenrubin.com/">&nbsp;Gretchen's website</a>&nbsp;to learn more about Gretchen's best-selling books, products from The Happiness Project Collection, and the&nbsp;Happier&nbsp;app.
Find the transcript for this episode on the episode details page in the Apple Podcasts app.&nbsp;

Little Happier: Four Helpful “Secrets of Adulthood” for Parents

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