December is the final month of this year-long tennis-specific exploration of Gretchen Rubin’s The Happiness Project. Today’s post is a reflection on Rubin’s concept of “Boot Camp Perfect,” a call to action to always follow all our happiness resolutions. While that level of perfection is a tall order, the concept behind it resonates with me. After a year of building new habits, insights, and intentions, now, as the practice comes to an end, is the natural time to reflect on everything we’ve explored along the way. It’s also the perfect time to experiment with consolidating those lessons into a more structured format to support lasting change.
Throughout 2025, I added one new happiness practice after another as each month progressed. Some of these habits have stuck with surprising tenacity. Others have faded into the background, but reappear every now and then, as if tapping me on the shoulder to remind me that I once cared deeply about them. A few have fallen completely off the map, especially during the most stressful times of this year. That’s probably true for most people who take on a project like this. Developing better habits is rewarding, but no one gets them all right every day.
This weekend I’m taking a page from Rubin’s playbook by making a comprehensive list of every happiness concept I wrote about this year. Some are tangible, like prioritizing sleep or keeping a food diary. Others are mindset shifts, such as enjoying joy, cultivating patience, and embracing mindfulness. Viewed as a whole, the list is surprisingly long. That alone is proof that the project has been transformative. Still, identifying all of these commitments in one place made me realize that a weekly scorecard checklist could be incredibly useful in the future. Even the simplest form of self-control would make it easier to stay accountable without feeling overwhelmed.
Creating a scorecard also recognizes a truth that Rubin repeatedly emphasizes. Small steps are most important when they are repeated. A habit practiced imperfectly but consistently is still better than a perfect habit practiced once. My goal is not to achieve perfection, but rather to develop a clearer understanding of where my intentions align with my actions and where they diverge. A weekly check-in feels like the right balance of structure and grace. It is a gentle reminder rather than a rigid mandate.
As I conclude this year-long endeavor, I would like to acknowledge how immensely helpful this project has been to me. Dedicating a year to intentional happiness, especially in a year full of significant personal challenges, has helped me stay focused in ways I didn’t expect. I also hope that some of the techniques, stories and reflections woven throughout the series have helped others find a little more joy in their tennis lives and beyond. If you’ve tried even one idea from these monthly explorations, I hope it added something meaningful to your experience.
There will be two more episodes this weekend to complete this project. Tomorrow’s post will outline my personal scorecard. The final post on Sunday is a capstone page that summarizes the entire Happiness Project for anyone who wants to see the full storyline of the year in all its glory.
December may be the end of this particular series, but the habits, insights, and intentions we’ve gathered will continue into the year ahead.
I don’t do gatekeeping. To make it easier to take the lessons from this year-long happiness project into the new year, I’ve created a printable “Weekly Happiness Project Scorecard.” It distills every theme and resolution into a simple, trackable format that you can view at a glance. I plan to use it as a gentle accountability tool, a reflection guide, and a way to stay grounded during the journey here. Download your free copy here.
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Throughout 2025, I will dedicate the first full weekend of each month to exploring how the ideas of Gretchen Rubin’s Tthe Happiness Project (<- Sponsored link) can provides more fun and happiness when playing tennis. This is a non-tennis book that I have come to believe everyone should read. Seriously, you should get a copy of this book and consider trying some of the techniques described by the author.
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