We talk why it’s valuable to “go for the no” instead of avoiding rejection and failure. Plus we give our suggestions for excellent same-day books and a hack for making email more efficient.

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.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A famous quip illustrates an important point: Small debts burden the borrower; big debts burden the lender.

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.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We talk about the power of reframing—specifically, reframing the meaning of a siren. We also talk about a passage from the novel “Little Women” that illuminates our experience of our father’s death.

Resources & links related to this episode:

• Secrets of Adulthood newsletter on Substack
• Happier in Hollywood newsletter on Substack
• Find tips and hacks for No-Spend February here

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.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In honor of No-Spend February, we talk about why it’s a good time to turn in your coins and to use up your gift cards. We also talk about the juggler vs. aerialist distinction, and how the Four Tendencies framework can illuminate an experience of family estrangement.

Resources & links related to this episode:

• Coinstar
• Wall Street Journal article by therapist Rachel Glik
• Elizabeth is reading: Strangers by Belle Burden (Amazon, Bookshop)
• Gretchen is reading: Pnin by Vladimir Nabokov (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.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The traditional Russian practice of “sitting on suitcases” is an excellent ritual for anyone setting off on a trip.

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.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Why is it so hard getting yourself to do what you want to do? This overview of the Four Tendencies explains why motivation works differently for different people and how understanding how you respond to expectations can make follow-through easier.

Resources & links related to this episode:

• Four Tendencies Framework
• Take the Four Tendencies quiz here
• Order The Four Tendencies here

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.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We share our plans for our next “No-Spend February”—our rules, our exceptions, and what we hope to learn. We also share a more elegant term for “squats” and discuss an interesting self-knowledge question related to the makeshift.

Resources & links related to this episode:

• Join us for No-Spend February
• Shop the sale in The Happiness Project Shop
• Listen to Episode 466 here
• Listen to Episode 475 here
• Elizabeth is reading: Half His Age by Jennette McCurdy (Amazon, Bookshop)
• Gretchen is rereading: Gray Divorce: What We Lose and Gain from Mid-Life Splits by Jocelyn Elise Crowley (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.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A modern fable is an excellent illustration of a very popular loophole used to justify breaking good habits.

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.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.