Tips…to improve the morning

Gretchen Rubin

  1. Last thing before going to bed, tidy up the house. This doesn't sound like a big deal, but if you do it every night, this one habit can dramatically improve your environment.

  2. Always keep keys, wallet, phone, etc. in your bag, and what's more, in the same place in your bag; don't put them down on a counter or anywhere else.

  3. Keep plenty of cash in the house.

  4. Put envelopes to be mailed, library books to be returned, or videos to be returned by the front door.

  5. Don't leave the bathroom, bedroom, or kitchen without making sure that all drawers and cabinet doors are closed.

  6. Sing-even for just a minute-when you wake up.

  7. Take a few minutes to stretch.

  8. Always, always, always make the bed.

* There's been a lot of interest in the one-page discussion guide for book groups. Because so many people mentioned that they're reading The Happiness Project with their church group, or in a spirituality book group, and the like, I wrote another one-page discussion guide that focuses on the spiritual aspect. If you'd like either discussion guide (or both!), email me at grubin at gretchenrubin dot com.

[photo credit: Getty Images]