Ep. 555: Invest in Tools, an Orange Theory Hack & a Sobering Fact about Books

Summary

Podcast Summary: Happier with Gretchen Rubin

Episode 555: Invest in Tools, an Orange Theory Hack & a Sobering Fact about Books
Original Air Date: October 8, 2025
Hosts: Gretchen Rubin & Elizabeth Craft

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Main Theme & Purpose

This episode explores the value of mindfully investing in tools to improve habits and well-being, features a fitness accountability hack from the world of Orange Theory, and discusses a thought-provoking realization about the finite number of books we’re likely to read in a lifetime. Gretchen and Elizabeth share practical advice, listener insights, personal anecdotes, and memorable moments—all with their signature warm, relatable tone.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The "Try This at Home" Tip: Invest in Tools

[07:01–15:09]

• Mindful Investment:
  Gretchen introduces the idea of investing in tools—not as mere purchases, but as meaningful investments once you’ve demonstrated genuine commitment to an activity or habit.

• Caveat:
  “You can't think that owning the tools, buying the tools is enough to drive your behavior. Buying a fancy tennis racket does not mean that you are going to actually play tennis.”
  — Gretchen [07:45]

• Personal Examples:

  • Elizabeth emphasizes the benefit of upgrading tools once a habit is established, crediting specific work tools (iPad stand, lighting, microphone) for improving her workflow and creative satisfaction.
  • Gretchen relays her watercoloring journey, highlighting how quality materials markedly improved her results:
    “If you’re not using the right paper that’s meant for watercolor… you’re really not going to get the result that you want.” [09:50]

• Listener Wisdom:
  Rebecca, a music teacher, shares a staged approach to buying instruments for children learning music:

  • Rent or buy affordably in Year One (to ensure continued interest).
  • Upgrade after the first year if interest continues.
  • Invest in quality for lifelong enjoyment if a child continues after five years.
  • “Music classes and lessons are an investment that always gives the best returns.” — Rebecca [13:08]

• Listen to Others’ Suggestions:
  Habitual hesitation to upgrade often leads to avoidable frustration (e.g., outdated tech, broken tools). A community—or even persistent advice from friends—can guide well-timed investments.

• Investing Isn’t Just About Money:
  Time and energy spent learning a tool (like Google Docs) can be as valuable as financial investment.

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2. Happiness Hack: Using Social Media for Fitness Accountability

[18:59–22:21]

• Elizabeth’s Orange Theory Hack:
  Elizabeth stays motivated to attend Orange Theory classes by following @rainingtall (trainer Austin Hendrickson) on Instagram. His daily videos demo proper form and highlight common mistakes, giving her an edge in class.

• Virtual Accountability:
  “Even though he has no idea he’s serving that purpose, I do feel like he keeps me honest.” — Elizabeth [20:30].

• Obliger Insight:
  Gretchen relates this to the “Obliger” tendency needing external accountability and how surrounding yourself (even virtually) with like-minded people can reinforce identity and motivation for a habit.

• Algorithm Control:
  Elizabeth mentions actively liking and following Orange Theory content to ensure her social feed encourages her goal—a strategy she and Sarah dubbed their “Control Your Algorithm October Challenge.”

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3. Reading Challenge and the “2600 Books” Epiphany

[22:21–27:18]

• Yearly Challenge:
  The sisters’ “Read 25 in ’25” asks listeners to read 25 minutes each day in 2025.

• A Finite Number of Books:
  Inspired by a conversation with time management expert Laura Vanderkam, Gretchen realizes that even at a goal of 1 book/week for 50 years, she has only about 2,600 books left in her lifetime.

  • “I was like, wait, what are you talking about? That is not nearly enough for me. 2,600 is not enough.” — Gretchen [23:15]
  • Elizabeth: “Not with just 2,600 left.” [25:08]

• Reading Priorities:
  The realization helps Gretchen clarity her reading choices, giving herself permission to abandon books that don’t spark joy—reserving her limited ‘slots’ for truly worthwhile reads.
  “If I don’t finish it, then it doesn’t go off my 2,600.” — Gretchen [26:33]

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4. Demerit & Gold Star

[31:01–35:37]

• Gretchen’s Demerit (Flossing):
  She describes how easily a well-established habit (flossing) can fall away—especially after an illness or disruption—without noticing:
  “You can do something faithfully for such a long time, and then it just… you just forget about it.” [32:18]

• Elizabeth’s Gold Star (Camping Trip Packing List):
  She expresses gratitude for the detailed packing list provided by her son’s school for an upcoming camping trip, which helps her feel organized and secure.

  • “Having this very specific list is like a security blanket…” — Elizabeth [34:38]

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Investing in Tools:
  “Beautiful tools make work a joy. And beautiful tools can change performance.”
  — Gretchen [07:45]

• On Tools and Commitment:
  “What I like, Gretch, is the idea of getting the tools once you’ve shown yourself that you are committed to something, that it is a priority.”
  — Elizabeth [08:05]

• On Reading as a Finite Resource:
  “I always thought of it as something like inexhaustible resource because you’ll never come to the end of the books that you wanna read. But I will come to the end of my time.”
  — Gretchen [26:51]

• On Habit Disruption:
  “Very often when habits are broken, it’s because there has been some change that’s thrown you out of that habit.”
  — Gretchen [32:45]

• On Accountability:
  “It is a form of… it does create an atmosphere of accountability. Also, I think it’s really good for identity.”
  — Gretchen [20:48]

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• Episode and Lucky "555" Number Discussion: [02:27–03:23]
• Listener Travel Organization Hack: [03:46–06:42]
• Main Topic: Investing in Tools: [07:01–15:09]
• Happiness Hack (Orange Theory / Instagram): [18:59–22:21]
• Reading Challenge and Book Epiphany: [22:21–27:18]
• Demerit (Flossing): [31:07–33:46]
• Gold Star (Camping Packing List): [33:46–35:37]
• Discussion on Detailed Lists & Packing Organization: [35:37–36:30]

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Tone and Language

The episode is warm, optimistic, practical, and grounded in real-life wisdom. Gretchen and Elizabeth’s easy rapport allows for candid admissions, humorous asides, and heartfelt advice.

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Additional Resources

• Upcoming Interview: Listeners are encouraged to submit questions for an upcoming conversation with Elizabeth Gilbert.
• Social: Feedback and stories can be shared via Instagram, Threads, TikTok, Facebook, email, or at the episode’s show notes: happiercast.com/555
• Substack Newsletters:
  • Gretchen’s “Secrets of Adulthood”: secretsofadulthood.substack.com
  • Elizabeth’s “Happier in Hollywood”

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Closing Thoughts

This episode invites listeners to be intentional about their investments—whether money, time, or attention—and to recognize the ways thoughtful choices, social accountability, and mindful prioritization can directly support a happier and more productive life.

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“Onward and Upward!”

Transcript

[A]

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[B]

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[A]

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[B]

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[A]

Lemonada.

[B]

Hello and welcome to Happier, a podcast where we talk about how to be happier. This week we'll talk about why we should invest in tools in a mindful way and why we might have less time than we think for something very important. I'm Gretchen Rubin, writer who studies happiness, Good Habits, Human Nature, secrets of Adulthood. I'm in my little home office in New York City and joining me today is my sister Elizabeth Craft, who's a TV writer. And Elizabeth, I was thinking of you because episode 555. This is episode 555 feels lucky. And it also makes me think of Hollywood.

[A]

That's me, Elizabeth Craft, a TV writer and producer living in LA. And yes, Gretchen, 555 is the standard number we use in television and movies because it's not something anybody actually has as a telephone number. So you don't risk giving out a number on a TV show and people calling it and bothering someone.

[B]

Yes. You could imagine someone's distress and finding out that their home phone number was, you know, in an episode of the Office or something like that and everybody tried calling it. So it was so clever of them to set aside a whole bunch of numbers for that use. I love that. Yeah.

[A]

Do you remember that song? That was Jenny. Jenny. Who can I turn to? I think it was 867-5309.

[B]

Yes.

[A]

That was always a story.

[B]

Right, right, right, right. Well, before we jump in, we have an update from Danette who has a travel hack that seems very useful.

[A]

Yes, she says we travel with our two now 20 something children and my parents who are in their 80s.

[B]

So over.

[A]

We've had a lot of experience with mishaps and inconveniences, particularly with air travel. We have fine tuned our departure protocol to my husband and I acting as gate agent and luggage handler. The way it works is this. We start the night before with everybody making sure all their items are in order. Me going through our written travel checklist upon the actual departure. My husband goes out by the car. I am at the door, exiting our house, greeting each person as they leave. They have to show me their passport or photo id, whichever is appropriate. They have to show me as they secure it properly and whatever carrier they are using. They show me their phone. We do a quick questionnaire as I ask them to tell me something about what I know they need. I ask them about sunglasses, prescription glasses, contact lens, care CPAP retainers, sunscreen, swimsuits, snorkels, and anything else particular to that person and this trip, once they have passed me, they proceed to the car where they hand everything to my husband except what they're wearing. And everything goes in the back of the car, bags, purses, backpacks, everything. He makes a bag count. No one is allowed out of the car at this point. My husband and I do a house walk through and lock up. Once we get to the airport, everyone gets out of the car and lines up. So my husband gives every person their bags and items. We count the bags and the people, then we proceed in a line into the airport. My Husband acts as the engine and I am the caboose. We have found that other than forgotten documents and dropped items, getting separated causes the biggest disruption. So if someone decides to dash to the bathroom, stop to read a text or look around a little bit for any reason at all, I call halt. The train stops and whoever is separating themselves or pausing gets themselves together, and then we proceed again. At the gate, we do another bag count. If we check bags, there are lots of other things we are doing to be organized and on time. But the actual movement out of the house and to the gate can be orchestrated to minimize chaos.

[B]

What I love about this is that it clearly arises from experience. Yes, you may not need this with your family, but you may need this with your family. And this is a family that's like, this is how we need to do if we are going to take the trip. Because that was our. Tried this at home last week. It was to take the trip. And sometimes you just really have to be organized if you're going to get there all together without leaving your passport behind. So I love that they really brought the level of organization to their traveling.

[A]

Yes. And this is definitely. You have to have the right people to make this work. My husband and son would not go for this. I would love to do it. They would not go for it.

[B]

Yes, exactly. And also before we jump in, remember we are gonna be talking about Elizabeth Gilbert's memoir, All the Way to the River. In an upcoming episode. We will be talking to Liz Gilbert herself. So send us your questions and insights and we cannot wait for that conversation.

[A]

Yes.

[B]

So this week our try this at home tip is to invest in tools.

[A]

Yes. And Gretchen, this is a bit of a fun follow up. Try this at home.

[B]

Yes. In episode 548, our Try this at home suggestion was to put your money where your mouth is. And one of the ways that you can put your money where your mouth is is you can invest in good tools. But the thing about investing in tools is that this is a little bit tricky. You have to be honest with yourself. Because the fact is, some people, and sometimes it can be really fun to do the spending and the buying and the choosing and the accumulating, but then you don't use something and then it's just a waste. So it's really fun maybe to go out and buy yourself a really expensive set of fancy kitchen knives, but if you're not cooking, then that's a waste. You can't think that owning the tools, buying the tools is enough to drive your behavior Buying a fancy tennis racket does not mean that you are going to actually play tennis. But what is also true is that beautiful tools make work a joy. And beautiful tools can change performance.

[A]

Yes. What I like, Gretch, is the idea of getting the tools once you've shown yourself that you are committed to something, that it is a priority.

[B]

Right. That this is something you really value. Sometimes I think it's easy to say something like, well, if I'm really committed to something, or I really wanna learn how to do something, it really doesn't matter how the tools are. I'll just work with whatever's there. But the fact is that tools can really make a difference. I had a funny conversation with our father, who loves to golf, and. And he was talking to me about golfing. And I knew from my husband, Jamie, who loves to golf, that there'd been all of these exciting new advancements in golf club technology. And it turned out he'd had the same golf clubs for, like, 25 or 30 years. And I said, oh, my gosh, I think you would love to have new golf clubs. And he said, oh, darlin, it's not the clubs, it's the golfer. Meaning my golf game is my golf game because of me. I'm not blaming it on my clubs. But the fact is, new clubs really can make a difference. Elizabeth, you talk about this in technology, like, the tools that you use can really make a difference in working.

[A]

Yes, in all sorts of ways. Everything from using final draft to write scripts to having a stand. You gave me a stand for my iPad. That's, like, incredibly helpful to me. To having. I mean, the right lights, all of it matters. And the right microphone, all of it really enhances my experience with work.

[B]

And the thing is, a lot of times, if you've got a tool that's not really suitable or isn't working properly or whatever, it's a distraction from whatever your real work is. Weren't you having a lot of trouble with your printer, Elizabeth? Do I remember that correctly?

[A]

At times, I have. Sarah is the one who's really having printer issues. So we were talking about it on Happier in Hollywood.

[B]

Yes. Well, that's a distraction. Instead of being focused on the work that she's really trying to do, she's spending all this time, and it's not good time. It's frustrated time. It's wasted time. If you've got a really uncomfortable chair, it's hard to keep your rear in the seat. Even apart from the hard work of writing, it's just. You're uncomfortable, but a better chair makes it easier. And I found this with watercoloring. So when I started getting into watercoloring for this year, I really knew nothing about watercolor, so I had to read up on it and everything. And one of the things they say with watercolor is the tools really make a difference in how your painting will look. And then if you're not using the right paper that's meant for watercolor, or if you're using really inferior quality paints, you're really not going to get the result that you want. Not because your technique isn't good, but just because the materials need to be of a specific kind in order to get the qualities of watercolor that you're aiming for. And so over and over they're like, you really need to invest in sort of this level if you want to have a good result.

[A]

Yeah. And I think you can tell what people are really into by what tools they buy over and over again. Like the person who has eight guitars, it's pretty safe to say a priority for them is playing guitar.

[B]

Right. And for them, buying a really great guitar could make a difference.

[A]

Yes. And Gretchen connected to both investing in tools and putting your money where your mouth is. Our listener Rebecca had this to say as you discussed putting your money where your mouth is. I had some thoughts as a music teacher dealing with parents who aren't sure what to invest in for this child and their instrument. This is my advice. Practicing a new music instrument at home between lessons is essential to learning, improving and maintaining motivation for the student. That's number one. But buying instruments is expensive. Even vocal students want to practice with a microphone and amp. You will know after year one if your child will continue with this particular instrument. So for that year, rent, borrow or buy the cheapest version possible. The instrument cannot be broken or out of tune. Piano or there can be no real learning, but cheap is just fine. If they continue for a second year, please upgrade their instrument. Often it is an inadequate tool that discourages from practicing more or limits the enjoyment. For band and orchestra, ask the teacher if there are better versions at the school or recommendations on where to buy used but quality instruments. This is true for private lessons on guitar or piano as well. Check online marketplaces or reach out to family and friends. Often someone is happy to part with a quality instrument if it's going to a good home. For piano, it is necessary to upgrade to an electronic keyboard with weighted keys or a real piano at this point. Otherwise they will never learn how to play well. Used is perfect if Your child is continued for at least five years on an instrument and plans to continue. They are ready to spend the money on high quality to last a lifetime of enjoyment and learning. It will not go to waste. This will be a beloved gift that will be used throughout their life, even if not continuously. I have students restart private lessons as adults all the time. The more we learn about the brain, memory, mental health and community building, the more music is found to rise to the top of importance. Music classes and lessons are an investment that always gives the best returns.

[B]

This is so wise about how to invest at different stages that you don't have to decide it all at once, but that you should be mindful about what stage you're in.

[A]

Yes, that is so clarifying, Gretchen. I never considered that.

[B]

Yeah, yeah. It was a very helpful way to think about it. And the final observation that I would make is if you're thinking about whether or not you should invest in good tools, if it's worth the investment, listen to people who are in the same situation. If somebody who knows you and knows the kind of work that you do or what the pursuit that you're trying to follow, if they keep recommending that you invest in a tool, you should listen to them. Because everybody around you is like, wow, you really need to upgrade your phone. Your screen is cracked. It's going to die on you at any moment. And people are like, no, no, no, I'm not going to do it. And then the phone dies at always the most inconvenient time. Or like, Elizabeth, I always think of you and the Google Docs saga, right.

[A]

When Sarah and I were so resistant to Google Docs and our assistant kept saying, you must use Google Docs, you must use Google Docs. In that case, that didn't even cost anything, right? That was just investing time to learn how to use a new tool. And it's a tool that absolutely changed our lives.

[B]

But that's an excellent point, that by investment, it doesn't just mean investing financially, it means investing time and energy. Because sometimes, even if a tool is free, it costs you something to learn how to use it. But that investment is wise if it's something that you're really going to use. So I think sometimes the people around us, because they don't have to go through the painful change, they give us good advice. So I always try to listen. I used to pay for Filofax for years and everybody kept saying, you got to switch to a digital calendar. And I resisted. And the minute I switched, I was like, oh, man, they were right. I was wrong. I love my paper file of facts. This is much better. So let us know if you do try this at home and how investing in tools works for you. Let us know on Instagram threads, TikTok, Facebook. Drop us an [e-mail] or as always, go to the show notes this is happiercast.com 555 for everything related to this episode.

[A]

Coming up, we've got a happiness hack inspired by my love of orangetheory fitness. But first, this break from everyday dinners and effortless entertaining to unforgettable gifts, Omaha Steaks delivers the world's best steak experience. Gretchen I have a teenage boy. He loves steak. He wants to eat steak almost every day if he can. And of course, having these amazing Omaha Steaks on hand is perfect for feeding him. They're just so good. And the early Black Friday sale is the perfect time to shop for the best deals. Orders placed by 6pm Eastern ship the same day.

[B]

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[A]

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[B]

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[A]

Yes, this is what I use for Orange Theory, and I'm sure there are versions of this for many things out there that will help whatever the listener is doing. So I do this Orange Theory Fitness, which is a fitness class, and every day it's a little bit different. But all of the Orange Theories in the country do the same classes each day, so everyone's synced. So there's a trainer named Austin Hendrickson. He goes by rainingtall on Instagram, and most days he does videos where he shows you how to do movements that are in the class that day that people often do wrong. So he'll say, if you're doing a lunge and your knees are hurting, here's how you need to adjust yourself because if your knee's not going all the way to the ground, that means you're not getting the maximum benefit. And if you're doing a pushup, here's the proper way to do it and here's how you're likely doing it wrong. So what I like is he anticipates how people are doing it incorrectly and shows the correct way. And then when I go to the class, I can keep all that. I mean, there are coaches there to come over and correct you, but you know, there's a lot of people in the class.

[B]

Sure.

[A]

Anything you can do to enhance how well you know how to do an exercise helps. And I think that there are people like Austin, I'm sure, for all sorts of other exercise classes.

[B]

And do you think that following training Tall on Instagram has helped you stick to this very ambitious goal?

[A]

Oh, yes, for sure. Because when I see him pop up, it puts in my mind, oh, boy, I should go to Orange Theory today. Absolutely. It's almost like someone. Yeah. Watching me. Even though he has no idea he's serving that purpose, I do feel like he keeps me honest. For sure.

[B]

It's interesting because you're an obliger and it is a form of. I wouldn't call it imaginary accountability, but it does create an atmosphere of accountability also. I think it's really good for identity. You know, when I wrote better than before about the 21 strategies to make or break habits, one of the hardest strategies to understand was the strategy of identity, which is that when we identify with something, we're more likely to follow through on it, sometimes for better and sometimes for worse. But by following this, this is really part of your identity. I don't follow people who talk about Orange Theory because I don't do Orange Theory. You've put yourself in the company of people who do Orange Theory, and you're learning about Orange Theory, and you're part of that Corgi Nation. And I think that that helps. Being part of that helps solidify. Yeah, it helps solidify it. Exactly. And it keeps it uppermost in your mind. Because what is bonkers to me is how often you'll really wanna do something and then you'll just kind of, like, utterly forget it. Like, I just forgot about the fact that people are supposed to be flossing, you know, or whatever it is. So I think that this is a great idea. How did you find it?

[A]

You know, it just popped up one day, and then I kept hearting it, and then I followed Austin. Now, what I will say is it also goes with Sarah and I this month issued a control your algorithm October Challenge. And this sort of goes with that of like, okay, if I'm interested in Orange Theory, let me seek out this kind of material, make sure that I watch it and like it. And then I will get more of it.

[B]

Yes.

[A]

And less of things that are not helpful or positive for me.

[B]

That's a great suggestion. Well, onward to the end of 2025. Elizabeth, I know you've been working hard to meet your number, so I'm trying. That's good. That's good. And now let's talk about read 25 and 25. So in 2025, our yearly challenge is to read for 25 minutes every day. Such a fun challenge. And I had a recent epiphany about reading. Elizabeth, what is it?

[A]

You've had so many epiphanies about reading in your life. I can't believe there's still one out there.

[B]

No, this is one that has already had a huge impact on me. Okay, so. So I was with my friend Laura Vanderkam. And Laura Vanderkam is a time use expert. So she writes and researches about how we can make the best use of our time. She's written several great books, like 168 Hours, you have more Time Than youn Think, and tranquility by Tuesday. 9 Ways to Calm the Chaos and Make Time for what Matters. So that's what she writes about. It's like, how do you use your time in a way that is really getting you the life that you want? Of course. I'm so interested in that. And the thing about Laura is, like, she works full time. She has five children. She runs regularly. She sings in a choir. She loves to read. So she's somebody who is really living it. She doesn't just talk about it. So I take what she says very seriously. So we go to this bookstore together. We're walking around, we're analyzing the book jackets, and we're swapping recommendations and everything. And I made some comment, like, there's so many books to read in the world. It's so great. And she said something like, yeah, and we only have 2,600 books left. And I was like, like, wait, what are you talking about? That is not nearly enough for me. 2600 is not enough. And she goes, well, if you read a book a week for 50 years, that would be 2,600 books.

[A]

Wow.

[B]

And I thought, well, to be clear, I don't think that I have 50 years left, right? But there's something about the 2600. And this ties into my Summer of Sundoku when I was trying to, like, weed through my piles. Often with a book, I'll always think, well, maybe this is the book that no one ever talks about. But I'll read it, and it will just become one of my favorite books. Because that has happened to me. There are many books that I love, love, love that nobody in the world ever, as far as I can tell, has ever heard of. And then there's also a book where the whole book wasn't that good, but there was one germ of an idea, or there was one metaphor, or there was One vocabulary word where I'm like, I'm really glad I read that book. Cause I really did gain this one thing. Now, I'm always trying to stop reading a book if I don't like it. But I always want to stretch for a book that maybe isn't front and center of my most desirable stack. But if I'm spending all my time on these books that are like, well, maybe there's a germ of an idea in here. Oh, you know, maybe there'll be one line that I'll write down in my quotations notebook that maybe isn't good enough.

[A]

Not with just 2,600 left.

[B]

There's just 2,600 left. So I went through my shelves. Cause, you know, I've been trying to weed them and trying to weed them, and I took out a whole other big stack. They just don't make it into 2,600.

[A]

Well, and it definitely helps with what you just mentioned, also of not finishing a book that you're not interested in. So don't start a book you're not interested in. Don't finish a book you're not interested, and move on to the next one. And then you don't have to count that as one of your 2,600. Now, lucky for you, Gretch, you can sometimes read five books in a week. So at least you'll make up some ground there, even if you don't have the full 50 years left left. But I hear what you're saying.

[B]

What you said, though, Elizabeth, is a very helpful reframing. Because with me, if I read half of it, I know that part of the reasons that it's hard for me not to finish it, even If I don't 100% enjoy it, is that I want the credit for it. Like, I just want the psychological credit of, like, I finished it at the end of the month. When I take my picture of my book stacks, I get credit for it. Whereas if I put it down without finishing it, I don't get credit for it. I'm reading a book right now. I won't name names, but I'm like, it was perfectly enjoyable, but I have no desire to finish it. It was good. I'm glad I read half of it. But there's just gonna be more of the same, I think. But maybe not. But I don't feel like keeping reading it. I'm not interested in it anymore. But now, see, you've reframed it, so I get credit for that. Because if I don't read it, then it doesn't go off my 2600.

[A]

Yes. It's like a freebie.

[B]

Yes. I've kept that slot open, which of course is completely irrational. I can see that. That will help my mind where I'll be like, okay, let me keep that for a book that I really wanna finish. And, you know, I love to reread. So I don't even have 2,600 new books because I love to reread.

[A]

Right.

[B]

I love to read and I think about reading, but I always thought of it as something like inexhaustible resource because you'll never come to the end of the books that you wanna read. But I will come the end of my time.

[A]

Right.

[B]

And so I just need to make better decisions.

[A]

Well, I feel confident you'll get to more than 2,600, but nonetheless, it's a finite number.

[B]

I could read the mediocre books at the end.

[A]

Yeah, there you go.

[B]

It's like, okay, this is the stack that I'll read when I get down to 100 left. Yes, absolutely.

[A]

Good idea.

[B]

Yeah. So anyway, thank you, Laura Vanderkam, for giving me a startling revelation about mortality. Love it.

[A]

All right, Gretch, coming up, you mentioned flossing. You have a flossing demerit. But first, this break foreign. This episode is brought to you by Squarespace, the all in one website platform built to help you stand out and succeed online. Whether you're starting a passion project or scaling your business, Squarespace gives you everything you need to build your brand and get paid all in one place. With Squarespace, you don't need to be a designer to look like one. Their cutting edge design tools and professionally built templates make it easy to to create a site that feels custom to you. I love that you can start with Blueprint AI. It builds this personalized site in just a few clicks based on your goals and style.

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[A]

Gretch. We talk all the time about how important sleep is. It matters so much. And for me, now that Jack is back in school, I have to get up really early. It's even more important that I get a good night's sleep. Well, let me tell you about the greatest hack I have now for a good night's sleep which is Coop Sleep Goods pillows. I have the Eden adjustable pillow and it has changed my life. I love it.

[B]

Well, you spend a third of your life in bed and so having a pillow that's customized to your sleep style, whether you know you're a side sleeper, back sleeper, starfish, you can upgrade your pillows with Coop Sleep Goods. You can take their better sleep quiz as an easy way to find the perfect pillow for yourself. You can have a free pillow consultation with their sleep experts to optimize your sleep. You get a hundred night free trial upgrade your sleep visit coopsleepgoods.com happier to get 20% off your first order. That's C O O P sleepgoods.com happier.

[A]

Gretch, you know how much I love Audible. Audiobooks are such a huge part of my life. I I'm always telling people to start listening to audiobooks. What I love is that Audible has something for everyone. My most recent book I have teed up to listen to is 4th Wing by Rebecca Yarros. I am a huge romance lover, have been since I was 12 years old and I've heard so much about this book. I cannot wait to start listening.

[B]

Yeah, that's the great thing about Audible. They have whatever you're in the mood for. You can hear modern rom coms from authors like Lily Chu and Ali Hazelwood, the latest romantasy series from Sarah J. Maas and yes, Rebecca Yarros and Regency favorites like Bridgerton and Outlander. Plus all the really steamy stuff. Whatever you're looking for, you can find the audiobook you will love. Your first great love story is free when you sign up for a free 30 day trial at audible.com happier.

[A]

Okay, we are back with demerits and gold stars and this week Gretchen, you are up with a happiness demerit.

[B]

Yes. So flossing. So clearly flossing is on my because something mysterious happened to me with flossing. You don't often think of mystery and flossing, but you'd been talking about how you were trying to floss more because you need to floss twice a day. And as you were talking about it, it occurred to me and this was a while back maybe, was that on your 25 for 25 list that we.

[A]

Were talking about it? Yes, I Think it might have been last year. It's been a while. Yeah.

[B]

Okay. Well, whenever you started talking about it, it occurred to me, like, oh, I forgot about flossing. I use those pics, but it's a good idea to floss, too. So I just started flossing. And it was kind of a magical thing where just the idea that you had, not even saying it to me, just talking about it for yourself, got me back in the habit of flossing. And it came back very easily because flossing is a tough habit, I think, for a lot of people. But all of a sudden, I was just flossing. Floss, floss, floss. So this goes on, and then what happened? I don't know. I just stopped flossing. I didn't notice. It has been a long time now since I was flossing. My eye finally caught on it in the bathroom, and I thought, thought, oh, my gosh, I just forgot about flossing. And this is what is mysterious to me, is you can do something faithfully for such a long time, and then it just. You just forget about it. I mean, it wasn't even like I was like, oh, I've been so good about flossing. I need to give myself a break. Or, I'll be so good starting next month. I'll start then. Or, you know, life's too short to spend my life flossing away. I just forgot about flossing.

[A]

My guess is it happened when you had a cold. You had a cold a while back, and I bet during that time, you know, you were either too tired or the idea of flossings just seemed gross when you're sick sometimes. And I bet you just stopped doing it and forgot about it while you were sick, because that was at least a week.

[B]

Yes, I bet that is a really good hypothesis, because very often when habits are broken, it's because there has been some change that's thrown you out of that habit. It could be something like your commute changes, which is very obvious, but it can even be something like you rearrange your living room furniture. Or even like this, like, you get a really bad cold, and somehow it interferes with it and it somehow just trips the switch and something that had been going on is now off. Oh, I bet you're right, Elizabeth. So now I've started flossing again, and I think that now that I've sort of gone through this next time I'll be more attentive.

[A]

Aware. Yes.

[B]

Right. Or at least keep the flossing container more Front and center of my. I haven't tucked in a thing where it's that visible. I can easily get to it, but I don't see it. I could keep it in a visible place, so I have a little bit of a visual cue, though. You can often just start ignoring visual cues, too. They just become wallpaper, and you don't even notice it. Very true, but it can help. But, Elizabeth, what is your gold star? Take us up.

[A]

Well, Gretch, I wanna give a gold star to the people who are organizing the class trip that my son is about to go on. Jack's about to go on. It's a camping trip, and it's four nights, no running water, and they sent a very specific packing list. And that's my gold star is for this very specific packing list. Now, I must say, it is a very daunting list for those of us who aren't campers and sort of don't have a lot of things that one needs for camping. I'm not saying it's like stoves or anything, but it's long underwear and utensils, things like that. But having this very specific list is like a security blanket because. Because I would have no idea what to send him with if I did not have this list. But as a result, I can be very methodical in prepping for this camping trip. So I'm very grateful for it. And it's saving me from having to survey everyone I know for what they think we should bring. This way, I just know what I need, and I can go about assembling the lift. Right.

[B]

Like, you'd call somebody like, oh, I know you had a kid who did it two years ago. What do you wish. Do you remember? Oh, let me look it up in my notes on my phone.

[A]

And.

[B]

Yeah. Well, I think you need to channel a little bit of Danette's energy going through the list and checking it and not letting Jack leave the car.

[A]

Yeah, exactly.

[B]

We're putting everything in the trunk.

[A]

Yes. Don't remove the headlamp from the duffel bag.

[B]

Right. Like, somebody's like, oh, I was just looking in there to see if my extra set of headphones. And I guess I just left everything on the floor. Yeah. No, you can imagine. And how that happens.

[A]

Yeah. So gold star.

[B]

It's a lot of trouble to make a list like that. But if one person does the work, then they save so many people the effort.

[A]

Of course, it reminds me of the list we got for our walking trip in England last summer, which we were very studious about making sure we had every single item. Gretch, we are students of the list. Want to get an A on whatever we're doing. So we had our complete list and Jack will have the complete list as well.

[B]

Well, remind me how many times you went back to check your hiking.

[A]

Three times I went back to REI and they did work. In the end I wore them without getting any blisters.

[B]

I know you and I were blistered. We had so much anti blister stuff. I mean we were very intent on no blisters. Yes, if Jack, you can use all of your foot balms and all of all of that stuff. So this week our resource is I wanted to remind people that on my Secrets of Adulthood substack, which I love doing, I recently talked with bestselling author Jen Hatmaker, whose book Awake is causing immense amount of buzz. It's a huge bestseller and Jen shared terrific advice for anyone who is navigating a big life change. That's what her memoir is about, navigating a big life change. And she described two questions that guided her through a very hard time in her own life. And I thought that they were so thought provoking and useful. So if you would be interested in hearing our conversation, you can visit secretsofadulthood.substack.com and if you want to hear more conversations like that, you can subscribe there. Also, Elizabeth has her substack Happier in Hollywood, so subscribe away. There's so much fun content there. And Elizabeth, speaking of fun content, though I hate to talk about books as content. That's so yuck. What are we reading? What are you reading?

[A]

I am rereading all the Way to the river by Elizabeth Gilbert.

[B]

Okay, I know what you're doing and I am reading All Passion Spent by Vita Sackville West. I guess that's my book. 2600. The count is on. And that's it for this episode of Happier. Remember to try this at home. Invest in tools. Let us know if you tried it and if it worked for you.

[A]

Thank you to our executive producer Chuck Reed and everyone at Lemonada. If you haven't subscribed to Lemonada Premium yet, now is the perfect time. Just tap that subscribe button on Apple Podcasts or go to lemonadapremium.com and here's your rhyming reminder.

[B]

If you like the show, tell others you know, please do it. We love word of mouth. Word of mouth is the best indeed.

[A]

Until next week, I'm Elizabeth Craft.

[B]

And I'm Gretchen Rubin. Thanks for joining us. Onward and Upward. So, Elizabeth, what is the oddest thing that was on the packing list? Cause, like, I get, like, get a plastic bowl. Was there anything where you're like, huh? I didn't know he'd need that. No.

[A]

But the most confounding thing is that he needs a sleeping bag that goes is as low as 20 degrees. And I am trying to figure out what his. His two sleeping bags are rated for. So that's the confounding item.

[B]

Right? Right, right, right. When you're like, what do we already have?

[A]

Yes, I don't want to buy another sleeping bag if I don't need to.

[B]

From the Onward Project.

[A]

Hi, Gretchen, Craig Robinson and my little sister Michelle here we host a new podcast called IMO with Michelle Obama and Craig Robinson. We know you're the queen of giving advice, so we wanted to get a few tips from you. You know, Gretchen, a lot of our listeners are going through some major life changes. What advice do you have for folks who are trying to stay grounded in the midst of major life transitions?

[B]

Craig, Michelle, I am so happy to be talking to you. Here are a few questions that might help us gain perspective. So consider questions like this. What activities take up my time but are not particularly useful or stimulating for me? Do I spend a lot of time on something that's important to someone else but is not very important to me? If I could magically change one habit in my life, what would I choose? And here's a question. Would I like to have more time in solitude, restorative solitude, or would I like to have more time with friends? You know, just thinking about questions like this can help us start to figure out how we might make our lives happier. With greater self knowledge, we're better able to make hard decisions that reflect ourselves, our own nature, our own interests, our own values. In my own case, I have found that the more my life reflects my nature, the happier I get and the more grounded I feel when I'm going through a period of major change or transition. For more great advice, search for IMO with Michelle Obama and Craig Robinson. Wherever you get podcasts, you can listen to. Issa Rae on letting go of certain friendships. Keke Palmer on why disappointment is actually the key to career success. Us Seth and Lauren Rogan on caring for aging parents and so many more.