A reason to get up
Ikigai roughly means the reason you get up in the morning. It can be grand or small: a grandchild, a vegetable patch, a craft you're still getting better at. The authors say everyone has one, even if they haven't found it yet.
Mindfulness
Ikigai
by Héctor García and Francesc Miralles
Why do Okinawans live so long?
Héctor García and Francesc Miralles went to Ogimi, a village in the north of Okinawa known for how many of its people live past 100. They wanted to know what those people did all day. The answers kept pointing back to one Japanese word.
Hear a sample · read by Laura
What you'll learn
- A reason to get up
- Nobody really retires
- Lose yourself in the task
- Fall seven times, get up eight
The key ideas in Ikigai
Nobody really retires
In Ogimi, the authors found, hardly anyone stops working for good. People in their eighties and nineties still tend their gardens and keep a busy daily routine. Having something to do, the authors argue, is part of staying well.
Lose yourself in the task
The book borrows Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi's idea of flow, the state where you're so absorbed that time disappears. People who've found their ikigai spend a lot of time in it. To get there, pick a task that stretches you slightly and put distractions out of reach.
Fall seven times, get up eight
The book's chapter on resilience leans on that Japanese proverb. Setbacks come to everyone, including the centenarians. What the authors admire is the habit of getting back to your purpose after each one, instead of waiting for life to go smoothly first.
Lines worth underlining
A reason to rise
Ikigai is the thing that gives your days a point. Everyone has one, though some have to look for it.
No retiring
Many old people in Okinawa never fully retire. They keep doing what they love for as long as they can.
Flow
Look for work that absorbs you so fully that you lose track of time.
Friends
Villagers in Ogimi belong to small groups called moai and look after each other for life.
Eighty per cent
Okinawans stop eating when they feel about 80 per cent full. They call it hara hachi bu.
A story from the book
Friends for life
Most people in Ogimi belong to a moai, a small group of friends who meet regularly and help each other out, sometimes with money from a shared pot. Many groups last a lifetime. The authors found friendship there was part of the daily routine, like the garden.
One thing to try
Find your flow this week
Write down two or three things you do where you lose track of time. Pick one and give it an hour this week, with your phone in another room. If you're looking for your ikigai, the authors suggest starting where you already find flow.
There's more to Ikigai
Knotd has the key ideas from 250+ non-fiction books, each in a few minutes, in plain words. Ikigai comes with a Name That Idea round to make it stick.
Get the whole book on KnotdOpen in the appQuestions about Ikigai
What is Ikigai about?
Why do Okinawans live so long? Héctor García and Francesc Miralles went to Ogimi, a village in the north of Okinawa known for how many of its people live past 100. They wanted to know what those people did all day. The answers kept pointing back to one Japanese word.
What are the key ideas in Ikigai?
A reason to get up; Nobody really retires; Lose yourself in the task; Fall seven times, get up eight.
What's one thing to try from Ikigai?
Write down two or three things you do where you lose track of time. Pick one and give it an hour this week, with your phone in another room. If you're looking for your ikigai, the authors suggest starting where you already find flow.
Is Ikigai on Knotd?
Yes. Knotd has the key ideas from Ikigai in a few minutes, in plain words, plus a Name That Idea round to test them. It's one of 250+ non-fiction books in the app.
