<p>Figuring out the pitfalls and best practices of adulthood can be tricky. It's helpful to have some pearls of wisdom to guide you along the way.</p><p>My guest today has spent decades collecting these kinds of helpful truths and has crafted her own guiding mantras of maturity.</p><p>Gretchen Rubin is the author of numerous bestselling books, including <i>The Happiness Project</i>, and her latest, <a href="https://amzn.to/431jrhB"><i>Secrets of Adulthood</i></a>. Today on the show, Gretchen shares how she came to write hundreds of aphorisms on how to navigate life, and we dig into some of my favorites of these concise, sage sayings. Amongst many topics, we discuss why "happiness doesn't always make us feel happy," the best strategy for changing ourselves, a very useful heuristic for making decisions, why you should wear a favorite sweater more often, and even why big top tables at restaurants are one of my pet peeves.</p><h2>Resources Related to the Podcast</h2><ul><li><a href="https://amzn.to/4m0pATO" target="_blank">Gretchen's books</a></li><li><a href="https://gretchenrubin.com/quiz/the-habits-for-happiness-quiz/" target="_blank">Gretchen's "What's the next new habit that will make you happier?" quiz</a></li><li><a href="https://www.artofmanliness.com/character/knowledge-of-men/the-maxims-of-francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/" target="_blank">AoM Article: The Self-Deception Destroying Maxims of Francois de La Rochefoucauld</a></li><li><a href="https://www.artofmanliness.com/character/knowledge-of-men/nietzsches-66-best-aphorisms/" target="_blank">AoM Article: Nietzsche’s 66 Best Aphorisms</a></li><li><a href="https://www.artofmanliness.com/health-fitness/health/just-go-to-sleep/" target="_blank">AoM Article: Just Go to Sleep</a></li><li><a href="https://www.dyingbreed.net/p/sunday-firesides-life-is-for-living" target="_blank">Sunday Firesides: Life Is for Living</a></li></ul><h2><strong>Connect With Gretchen Rubin</strong></h2><ul><li><a href="https://gretchenrubin.com/" target="_blank">Gretchen's website</a></li><li><a href="https://www.instagram.com/gretchenrubin/" target="_blank">Gretchen on IG</a></li><li><a href="https://www.facebook.com/GretchenRubin" target="_blank">Gretchen on FB</a></li><li><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/gretchenrubin/" target="_blank">Gretchen on LinkedIn</a></li></ul><img src="https://content.artofmanliness.com/uploads/2025/05/814i9u-norL._SL1500_.jpg" alt="Book cover for "Secrets of Adulthood" by Gretchen Rubin, featuring bold, capitalized text and a hand holding a small book against a blue and yellow background—perfect for fans of Life Lessons from the Adulthood Podcast." /><h2> </h2>


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