Live a More Fulfilling Life the Japanese Way

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For most of us, the pandemic meant our daily and weekly routines shifted dramatically. But now that things are starting to reopen, our routines are changing again. 

Here’s a little exercise to get you started. What do you do in a typical week?

• Spend time with family and friends
• Work (from home, hybrid, or in the office)
• Meditate
• Read
• Clean your home
• Run errands

It’s important to have a good balance of work and play, social time and alone time. But at the end of the day, what’s it all for?

For many people, the pandemic has shifted their priorities. So how can we use that information about what’s really important to make sustainable decisions?

There are hundreds of self-help books on how to find your passion or change your career path to something more inspiring. 

Window cleaners don’t have that job because they have a passion for clean glass. There’s a certain level of practicality to what we do as well as a need to be financially stable. 

So how do we find fulfillment in this post-pandemic age?

The answer can be found on a small Japanese island called Okinawa. This beautiful place is said to be home to the largest population of people who have lived to be 100 years old. 

This is largely attributed to the concept of ikigai. 

Okinawans use ikigai to guide their way of life. I was introduced to the concept when I did research for my second book, “Listful Living: A List-Making Journey to a Less Stressed You”

Ikigai is the joining together of four primary elements:

• What you love
• What the world needs 
• What you are good at 
• What you can get paid for 

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Stressed? Make it work for you, not against you!

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When you bring together these four elements it leads to a feeling of fulfillment, which increases happiness and longevity. To follow ikigai you don’t have to immediately quit your job or make any other drastic life changes. Ikigai is more about following the path towards your ultimate fulfillment. 

So how can you get closer to your ikigai? Try to incorporate more of the following into your day to day: 

New opportunities.

A large part of ikigai is the idea of following what brings you that sense of fulfillment, by taking opportunities that match with the four tenants above. You might take up dance classes. This brings out a talent you didn’t realize you had or could introduce you to someone who helps you with a new opportunity. It’s not about taking on as many opportunities as possible but simply seeking out the things that you enjoy. 

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Go with your gut.

 Do you ever have one of those days where you’ve planned everything out, but your gut is telling you to go a different route? Sometimes that gut instinct can save your life. Your instincts are there to lead you to where you need to go. Much like seeking out opportunities, finding ikigai often comes from following an instinctive path, rather than doing what you feel like you should be doing. Change should come from within, not an external source.

Take it easy.

So you haven’t reached your true harmony – or your ikigai just yet! And you might not get there next week either. In the rush to find your fulfillment, you could let life pass you by. Instead, trust that within time you will find what’s right for you. I worked for nearly 20 years as a news producer before I changed direction and started teaching people how to build their media presence and how to boost their productivity. For a few years before I left my job as a senior health producer at Fox News Channel, I had people telling me I should go freelance — but I waited for what felt like the right time. I’m glad I did! If you’re always looking to the future you can miss out on the now.

Have you found your ikigai? Let me know in the comments!

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BONUS FREEBIE: Want even more ways to stay organized, productive and less stressed? Click here to get access to my List-Making Starter Kit. It will boost your efficiency and get you back to doing more of the things you love.

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