Episode 10

Gretchen Rubin on the Four Tendencies and the Secret to Happiness

GUEST
“What you do every day matters more than what you do once in a while.”– Gretchen Rubin

Bestselling author, Gretchen Rubin, joined us on this episode of Elevate with Robert Glazer to discuss risk taking, happiness, purposeful growth, our unique tendencies, and how to discover and use them to outperform.

Gretchen is the author of several books, including #1 New York Times bestsellers The Happiness Project, Happier at Home, Better Than Before and The Four Tendencies. Her books have sold almost three million copies and been published in more than thirty languages.

With her work, Rubin has emerged as one of the most thought-provoking and influential writers on habits and happiness.

Gretchen and her sister, Elizabeth, also have their own podcast called Happier where they discuss good habits and happiness.

A graduate of Yale and Yale Law School, Rubin started her career in law. She clerked for Judge Pierre Leval and was clerking for Justice Sandra Day O’Connor when she realized she really wanted to be a writer.

A big thanks to our episode sponsor, The Next Big Idea Club!

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Show Notes

  • Gretchen’s ah-ha moment for leaving her law career and becoming a writer
  • Interesting connection between Gretchen Rubin and Daniel Pink
  • Why people struggle with the concept of passion
  • A secret to Gretchen’s success moving to a full-time writing career
  • Why it’s hard to give unbiased advice and a better way to give it
  • How all her books are connected
  • Why Gretchen doesn’t define happiness and what she thinks people should focus on instead
  • Why negative emotions are important
  • Secret to happiness – in both life and work
  • The feeling that drives out negativity
  • A tool in Outlook can help improve communication
  • What research how shown about happiness in the workplace
  • Difference between growth for growth sake and purposeful growth
  • Why sharing goals doesn’t work for everyone
  • One of Bob’s favorite quotes of Gretchen’s and why it can be a helpful reminder and a reassurance
  • What Bob learned his “tendency” is from taking Gretchen’s quiz
  • What the four tendencies are and how people can use them
  • A line in a well-known advertising jingle that appeals to all four tendencies
  • One of Gretchen’s favorite Benjamin Franklin quotes
  • What her next book will be about

Links from the Episode
Episode Transcription
Gretchen’s Website
Gretchen’s Podcast

Gretchen’s Books:
The Four Tendencies by Gretchen Rubin
Better Than Before by Gretchen Rubin
Happier at Home by Gretchen Rubin
The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin
All books by Gretchen Rubin

CONNECT SOCIALLY!

Guest: Gretchen Rubin
Twitter: https://twitter.com/gretchenrubin/ 
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gretchenrubin/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GretchenRubin

Host: Robert Glazer
Twitter: https://twitter.com/robert_glazer/  
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/glazer

We hope you enjoyed this Elevate with Robert Glazer podcast episode. If you did, we’d greatly appreciate you rating and/or reviewing it on Apple Podcasts. You can also subscribe so you don’t miss an episode!

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