The Happiness Project

I'm not the only one excited about change. In an online chat with "Washington Post" readers, Gretchen Rubin, author of The Happiness Project and a blogger for Slate, was asked what surprised her in her happiness studies. Here's part of what she had to say:

"I was also very surprised by how much novelty and challenge contribute to happiness. Turns out that people who try new things, go new places, learn new skills, etc., are happier. This can be tough, because novelty and challenge also bring frustration and irritation - but if you can push through that, novelty and challenge can bring enormous happiness rewards.

"This is because of the importance of the "atmosphere of growth" to happiness. If you feel like you're learning, growing, making something better, helping someone or something else to grow, that makes a big difference to your happiness.

"I'm a creature of routine, and I hate feeling incompetent, so I avoided novelty and challenge. Making an effort to push myself in that way has brought me surprising boost."