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 follow all of our happiness resolutions all the time. While that level of perfection is a tall order, the concept behind it resonates with me. After spending a year layering in new habits, insights, and intentions, as the exercise draws to a close, now is the natural moment to look back at everything we have explored along the way. It is also the perfect time to experiment with consolidating those lessons into a more structured format to support lasting change.
Throughout 2025, I have added one new happiness practice after another as each month unfolded. Some of these habits have stuck with surprising tenacity. Others have faded into the background, only to reappear occasionally, as if tapping me on the shoulder to remind me that I once cared deeply about them. A few have fallen completely off the wagon, especially during the most stressful stretches of this year. That is probably true for most people who take on a project like this one. Building better habits is rewarding, but no one gets all of them right every single day.
This weekend, I am 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 savoring joy, cultivating patience, and embracing mindful attention. When 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 moving forward. Even the simplest form of self-monitoring would make it easier to stay accountable without feeling overwhelmed.
Creating a scorecard also acknowledges a truth Rubin repeatedly highlights. Small steps matter most 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 close out this yearlong endeavor, I want to acknowledge how deeply beneficial this project has been for me. Dedicating a year to intentional happiness, especially in one filled with significant personal challenges, has kept me centered in ways I did not anticipate. 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 tried even one idea from these monthly explorations, I hope it added something meaningful to your experience.
There are two more installments coming this weekend to round out this project. Tomorrow’s post breaks down my personal scorecard. The final post on Sunday is a capstone page that summarizes the entire Happiness Project for anyone who wishes to revisit the year’s full narrative arc in all its glory.
December may be the end of this particular series, but the habits, insights, and intentions we have gathered will continue into the year ahead.
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Throughout 2025, I am dedicating the first full weekend of every month to exploring how ideas from Gretchen Rubin’s The Happiness Project (<- Sponsored Link) can spark greater enjoyment and happiness in tennis. This is a non-tennis book that I have come to believe everyone should read. Seriously, you should get your hands on a copy of this book and consider trying some of the techniques described by the author.