In her bestselling book The Happiness Project, author Gretchen Rubin spent 12 months chronicling her own journey to greater happiness. She researched the nature of happiness and set goals in specific areas in her own life where she wanted to be happier, from work and parenthood to mindfulness and leisure. The book struck a chord with readers and has inspired many other people to start their own personal Happiness Projects.

In Rubin’s newest book, Happier at Home , she focuses on her home as the most crucial element involved in her happiness. She dedicates a school year, from September to May, concentrating on making her home happier in measurable ways:

“I didn’t want to look back, at the end of my life or after some great catastrophe, and think, ‘Then we were so happy, if only we’d realized it.’ I had everything I could wish for; I wanted to make my home happier by appreciating how much happiness was already there.”

If you aren’t ready to commit to a full Happiness Project of your own just yet, start by journaling about how you can make changes to be happier at home.

1.    Brainstorm the main categories that make up your home life. For example: family, possessions, food, creativity, time, space – whatever is most important to you. Write down a list in your journal, making notes about each category as you go.

2.    Think about each of these areas of your home life. When do you feel the most calm, happy and fulfilled? What obstacles or roadblocks prevent you from feeling content at times? For example:

I am happiest with my family when we have unscheduled time together. No one needs to go to an appointment or a practice, no one is in a rush to do the dishes or answer the phone. We simply have time to enjoy each other’s company.

3.    Come up with a short list – one or two items for each category – of how you can make small changes to make your home happier, starting tomorrow. Don’t get overwhelmed by thinking too much about the big picture. Stay small for now. For example:

Time: I will get up 15 minutes earlier to have a cup of coffee by myself to get ready for the day before anyone else is awake.
Creativity: I will make journaling right before I go to bed something I look forward to all day.
Family: I will say, “I love you” at least once.  

Want to be happier at home? Then take the Start Journaling and Change Your Life in 7 Days Challenge!