The 10 Rules of Ikigai

to you that there is a reason why some people wake up every day looking forward to life while others are just dragging themselves through the day, waiting for it to end.

The difference is not usually in the form of money, fame, or even luck.

It is something far deeper, something which the Japanese call Ikigai: your reason for being.

This is the perfect balance between what you love, what you’re good at, what the world needs and what can provide you with the income you need.

However, the amazing thing is — you do not have to be a Japanese national or a thinker to be living it.

You can begin right where you are with ten simple but powerful rules.

1. Stay Active; Don’t Retire.

The first rule may sound odd initially — don’t retire? Isn’t that the ideal life? But the actual fact is: when the person stops doing what he loves most, it is most likely that he is suffering, that he is dying slowly.

In Okinawa, Japan, the place with some of the world’s longest-living people, there is no such thing as retirement. They just keep on doing the things that give them meaning in life.

A gardener continues to take care of his flowers. A fisherman goes to his timely sea. A teacher continues to impart knowledge.

What is the takeaway? Always keep doing the things that are/ seem to be meaningful.

Even if you have graduated or changed your job find a mentally as well as physically challenging way of spending your time. Do a paint, volunteer, write, cook, plant something. Anything that makes you feel alive and useful.

Because the moment you cease moving towards something that you care about is the moment you start moving away from yourself.

2. Take It Slow.

These days, it feels like everyone’s in a rush. Quick Wi-Fi. Quick meals. Quick victories.

However, the reality is that life is not a race; it is a dance. And hurrying only leads you to miss the main attractions.

The Japanese have a proverb: “If you walk at a slow pace, you will go far.”

It is not a sign of sloth but rather of intelligence.

If you deliberately go slow, you will see more. The flavor of the coffee you’re having in the morning. The warmth of the sun on your skin. The giggling of your dear ones.

Thus, do not hurry to “figure everything out.” Give yourself the necessary time.

Slow living is not doing less. It’s just doing with greater focus, care, and love.

3. Don’t Fill Your Stomach.

This one could be a little shocking to you. The people living in Okinawa adhere to a very simple eating practice: “Hara hachi bu” — eat until 80% full.

What is the reason? Because the mind thinks it needs more than the body actually does.

Eating just the right amount will provide you with energy and at the same time will not tire you.

But it is not only a matter of food. Moderation is the key in all things.
We lead our lives loaded with many burdens — excessive scrolling, cetera, and above all, too much noise.

Take a little off — from your plate, your calendar, and your thoughts.
You will be surprised by how light and concentrated you will become.

4. Surround Yourself with Good Friends.

One of the most common sayings goes: “You become like the five persons who you are with the most.”

And yes, it is correct.
True friends not only make the journey of life more enjoyable — they also extend and improve it.
And the science says so: social butterflies enjoy significantly longer lives than those who do not.

Thus, be with persons who are hilarious to you, who stimulate you, and who remind you of the worthiness of life.

The real friends are those who are there for you when you face hardships. Those whom you can share your ambitions and worries with, who help you feel that you are not invisible and that you are not misunderstood.

If you have ever passed a night just cracking jokes with friends till you all have stomach aches, you already know that is medicine.

5. Get in Shape for Your Next Birthday.

This one feels different.

Generally, we apply the term fitness to a harsh punishment that we need to “get over with” quickly. In contrast, the Ikigai philosophy promotes movement as a joyous event.

No need to treat your body as a machine that gets broken and fixed; it is a river that needs to be flowed through.

You are not required to work out in the fitness center every single day nor to run a whole marathon. Just move your body at your discretion. Walk, more. Stretch. Dance. Play any sport. Ride on a bicycle.

So the body you want is not the one with six-pack abs but a body that allows you to continue doing what you love for the next decades.

Moreover, when the next birthday comes, you will surely recall all the small steps and be grateful to yourself.

6. Smile.

This one looks easy way out — but it is possibly the most powerful.

Smiling does not only enhance your outward appearance of being happy; it actually improves your inner feeling of happiness.

By making that smile, your brain undergoes a release of endorphins — similar to what happens during exercises or while having a piece of chocolate.

This is nothing but the body’s intrinsic happiness switch.

Though, it is not always that you will be smiling. In those instances, try to channel your focus on what is rather good — little pleasures, comical incidents, and the like -that make life worth living.

Additionally, when things do not go your way, rather than waging a war with life, try giving it a smile.

It may end up smiling back at you.

7. Reconnect with Nature.

More often than not, we find ourselves in a world of screens, noise, and concrete.
But in reality, humans are not made for that. To be a human is to get the feeling of the wind on one’s face, to walk barefoot on grass, and to see the sky change its colors during sunset.

Nature is not a hurry thing.
The trees have no reason to compare themselves with and to each other.
The waves do not even worry about the noise they make while crashing.

And this is the exact reason why nature soothes us — it simply gives us a pointer to our true nature.

You are not required to give up your city lifestyle completely just to be one with nature again.
Take a walk and do not bring your phone along. Find a spot under a tree and sit there. Give it a try. Just five minutes of star-watching over your bed and you are in heaven.

Every time you feel the presence of nature, you give a boost to a part of you that technology can never do.

Birds will suddenly be more audible than notifications when you intentionally slow your pace hearing them. You will discover that peace was never absent from your life. You merely switched off the listening mode.

8. Give Thanks.

Gratitude is the quickest way to come to the state of happiness.

You could be the most successful person in the world, but if you never take time off to appreciate it, you will always feel like there is something missing.

Perform this exercise: just before going to sleep, mention three things you are thankful for, no matter how big or small.
They could be your family, your first cup of coffee in the morning, or a funny meme that made you laugh.
It may sound old-fashioned, but it is indeed life-changing.

When your attention is on the good things, your brain will automatically start to recognize more of them.

As a matter of fact, the Japanese do not thank only people but everything — the air that they inhale, the food they consume, the rain that gives life to the crops. That has a certain silent humility.

You come to the conclusion that nothing in life is secure. Every minor comfort your house, your body, your friends is a present.

And when you are mindful of this, even simple days begin to seem exceptional.

9. Live in the Moment.

This is challenging, particularly in a universe that is constantly screaming, “What’s next?”

We are so engrossed in the past and future that we overlook the only reality which is — the present moment.

It’s something to think about.
When was the last time you performed a task without making it half-way through and checking your phone? Finished a meal without browsing? Heard someone out without pretending to think what the next thing for you to say is?

Being present doesn’t signify disregarding the past or future — it implies being out of their realms.

Do this small experiment: the next time you are the one enjoying something, stop for a moment and say “This is now. I am here.” It is like hitting “save” on a memory while it is being created.

Not every moment will last for an eternity; in fact that is just what makes them so valuable.
Do not let them slip away through always looking into the future.

10. Follow Your Ikigai.

Now comes the most significant rule — the one that links all together.

Your Ikigai is your purpose to rise in the morning. It is that thing that gives you light from within, even when life is hard.

It may not be very clear, and it may not necessarily be a job.
It can be baking for your family, being there for others, acquiring new knowledge, making art, writing, or just holding the hand of someone who is in need.

Your Ikigai is the area where passion and purpose converge.

In case you don’t know what it is, do not worry. The majority of people spend their entire lives trying to find it — and that’s perfectly fine. The journey gives your life meaning.

Begin by reflecting upon:

What am I so passionate about that the time flies?
What is a natural talent of mine?
What can I provide the world that it needs the most?
What makes me feel valuable even in a tiny way?
When you discover something that responds to more than one of those questions, pursue it.

Even if it is just a tiny step — pursue it.

The Quiet Beautify of Balance
Ikigai is not the same as working hard all the time or chasing happiness like a prize.

It’s the middle ground — between activity and rest, between giving and getting, between dreaming and being satisfied.

The longest and happiest people do not engage in any activities that are extreme.
They simply eat, move, smile, love, and wake up each day with a purpose that is however small.

Furthermore, you can do the same too.

You are not required to make a complete transformation all at once. Just select one out of the ten rules and test it for a week.
Smile more. Call a buddy. Take a leisurely stroll. Eat a little less. Express gratitude.

Before long, you will start to notice it — a subtle happiness that is not reliant on fortune or wealth.

That is your Ikigai, softly saying, “Welcome back.”