A prescriptive and handy guide to the hot new lifestyle trend.



Ikigai is a Japanese concept that means “a reason for being,” (the French call it “raison d’être.”) If you make three lists: your values, the things you like to do, and the things you are good at, there is a point at which the three overlap. This is your ikigai. Everyone, according to Japanese culture, has an ikigai, and staying true to it in everything we do is the secret to a long, happy life. People of retirement age don’t put their feet up in Japan: they continue to pursue their ikigai, which leads to fulfillment and contentment. This guided journal offers simple questions to help you determine your ikigai, helping you to achieve a purposeful, worthwhile, happy life.