Gretchen Rubin, in her bookThe Happiness Project, attempts to answer this question.The Happiness Projectdetails Rubin’s year-long quest to amplify the happiness in her life. Each month, Rubin pursues a different set of resolutions, from taking time to be silly to launching a blog, and slowly develops her own definition of happiness. By keeping track of which resolutions work and which do not, sharing her stories through her blog, and reading everything from classical philosophy to Winston Churchill to Oprah, Rubin eventually develops habits that increase her happiness.

At the beginning ofThe Happiness Project,Rubin develops her own 12 commandments, which range from more specific goals — like “Be polite and fair” and “Identify the problem” — to more abstract mantras like “Be Gretchen.”“Be Gretchen” was inspired by the Dutch humanist Erasmus, who said, “The chief happiness for a man is to be what he is.” Rubin, by drawing on Erasmus’ words, attempts to understand who she actually is rather than who she is when she does activities she does not like.

Rubin describes a conversation with her younger sister Elizabeth about her experiments in happiness. Though Elizabeth thinks Rubin’s decision to dedicate a year trying to be happier is weird in a “goodway,” she also questions approaching the question of happiness in such a “dogged, systematic way.” Elizabeth essentially finds turning abstract goals such as “Be happier” or “Embrace now” into action items impossible. Unlike Rubin, Elizabeth believes happiness cannot be approached like a checklist. There is no series of tasks that will necessarily lead to lasting happiness.

While I initially agreed with Elizabeth when I began readingThe Happiness Project,I slowly came to realize my own opinion on happiness: it is possible to make oneself happier.Consciously trying to improve one’s happiness in a rational way can result in increased happiness, although the improvement ranges wildly depending on the action.

When I was younger, I correlated happiness solely to having fun. Spending time with my friends and going to carnival games with my family seemed to be the only sources of happiness. As I grew older, my view of happiness became more nuanced. While I still find having fun to be a source of temporary happiness, I believe lasting happiness comes from being able to cope with the stress and worries of life, to recognize and eventually combat the problems in our lives. Thus, if we take actions to eliminate the root problems that get in the way of happiness, we can actually make ourselves happier.