BALANCE

First, what is ikigai and how is it different from what we usually see online?

If you search for the word ikigai online, you will almost immediately find a diagram made up of four overlapping circles. Each circle represents something different: what you love, what you are good at, what the world needs, and what you can be paid for. It is often presented as the place where you find your purpose in life. It would look something like this:

For many people, this image has become the definition of ikigai and for a long time, this is also how I understood it.

But this interpretation can also create pressure. It suggests that you need to figure everything out and build your life around one clear direction. In a fast-paced world, this can make it easy to feel slightly out of balance or unsure.

The more I started reading about ikigai, the more I realised that this version above is actually a very Western interpretation. It turns ikigai into something that looks almost like a career planning framework, something you are supposed to discover, define, and eventually achieve. In many ways it fits quite neatly with how we tend to think about purpose in the West: as something big, clear, and ideally tied to productivity or success.

Yet Japanese researchers and writers often describe ikigai very differently. In many cases, it has little to do with career at all and cannot be boxed into a simple diagram.

The quieter meaning of ikigai: “a reason for being; the thing that gets you up in the morning.”

The word ikigai is commonly translated as “a reason for being; the thing that gets you up in the morning.” In Japan, ikigai is often understood in a much simpler and more everyday way than it is presented online.

Importantly, that reason is not referring to a grand life mission, it actually describes the small things that make daily life feel meaningful enough to look forward to another day.

That reason can be surprisingly ordinary. For example:

These reasons may seem small from the outside, yet they provide something important: a sense of motivation and connection to daily life.

One of the most influential voices exploring this idea was Meiko Kamiya, often referred to as the mother of ikigai research in Japan.

Her words capture something essential about ikigai. It is less about searching for something new, and more about how you move through the moments that are already part of your day.

Instead of adding more, it can be as simple as slowing one moment down slightly. Taking a few extra minutes in the morning, doing something with a bit more attention, or allowing a routine to feel less rushed.

That is often where a sense of balance begins to return.

But don’t get me wrong, Ikigai can still be big in the end

Ikigai exists on a spectrum. For some people, it might be a lifelong passion or a craft they dedicate themselves to for decades. For others, it may simply be a small daily ritual or a moment of connection with others. Neuroscientist Ken Mogi, who has written extensively about the concept in his book “The little book of ikigai”, explains that ikigai does not need to be extraordinary. It can appear in small routines, hobbies, friendships, or moments of curiosity.

What matters is not the scale of the activity, but the sense of meaning it brings. Because of this, ikigai is deeply personal. What gives one person a reason to wake up may look completely different for someone else.

A life shaped by small devotion

An example often mentioned is Jiro Ono, the sushi master featured in Jiro Dreams of Sushi.

Jiro spent decades refining his craft with extraordinary dedication. Day after day he repeated the same movements, beginning his day early with a visit to the fish market, where he would search for the freshest and highest-quality fish available. Only after securing the best ingredients would he return to his small restaurant in Tokyo to carefully prepare rice and shape sushi, while paying the utmost attention to the smallest details. Jiro did not describe his purpose as something abstract. It was simply the dedication to making better sushi every single day. In that sense, his ikigai lived in the rhythm of his craft and being in the here and now of each day.

This example really inspired me and changed the way I thought about the life and shifted the question “What is my life purpose?” to:

What is one thing that makes getting out of bed a little easier?

Reflection

Take a moment to think about this question and notice what comes up first. For me, it is a calm breakfast. A simple moment, but one that helps me start the day with more clarity and energy.

Over time, I noticed that these small moments begin to shape your day. You protect them, return to them, and slowly build routines around what feels good. I now wake up a little earlier just to have that space, and it makes a bigger difference than I expected.

If ikigai invites us to slow down and notice the small moments that shape our day, the next question becomes quite practical:

How can we create this small moment in the morning that sets the tone for the rest of the day?

In the next article, I share 5 simple, realistic habits that take just a few minutes, but can completely change how your morning feels.