How She Does It Ep 51: From Yale Law to Happiness Expert: Gretchen Rubin’s Journey to Joy and Success
“I’d rather fail as a writer than succeed as a lawyer,” says bestselling author Gretchen Rubin — a realization that struck while she was clerking for Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor. In this deeply honest and often humorous episode of How She Does It, Gretchen shares how chasing what she was truly interested in — power, money, fame, and sex — unexpectedly opened the door to a successful writing career.
Host Karen Finerman sits down with Gretchen to explore the winding path that led to The Happiness Project, a book that launched a movement and transformed Gretchen’s life. With over 3.5 million copies sold and 11 books published, Gretchen reflects on what success has really meant for her happiness, how she copes with life’s irritations, and why abstaining from sugar works better for her than moderation.
In this episode, Gretchen and Karen discuss:
✨ Why Gretchen left law for writing — and how she knew it was time
📘 The surprising ups and downs behind The Happiness Project
🧠 Why meditation isn’t for everyone (and that’s OK!)
🎯 The power of “choosing the bigger life” when making tough decisions
🥂 Why saving things “for a special occasion” might actually be wasting them
💪 The value of loving the drudgery in meaningful work
🍫 Abstinence vs. moderation — and how it plays out in daily life
📚 Plus: their favorite aphorisms from Gretchen’s new book, Secrets of Adulthood
Resources & More:
🔗 Visit Gretchen’s website
🎧 Listen to the Happier with Gretchen Rubin podcast
📸 Follow the show on Instagram: @hsdipodcast
🎧 New episodes of How She Does It drop every Tuesday. Be sure to follow us so you never miss an episode.\
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