“Ikigai: The Japanese Secret to a Long and Happy Life” (2017). To be honest, I don’t quite know what I expected when I started reading this book. In my mind, I was imaging some amazing secrets or universal truths to be revealed. I have used some elements of ikigai in the past – more in a work context to help me find my focus – and I thought the wisdom in these pages would unlock some god-like status of inner understanding. As it turns out, the book is nothing like that, but it is nonetheless an interesting and, at times, thought-provoking read.
What is the book about?
The book discusses the habits and ways-of-life of the inhabitants of five “Blue Zones” around the world where the inhabitants have an on-average 20-30% higher life expectancy than the rest of the world. These zones are Sardinia (Italy), Loma Linda, (California, US), Ikaria (Greece), Nicoya (Costa Rica), and Okinawa (Japan). This last one is the main focus of the book. The term “Blue Zones” was coined by Dan Beuttner in his book of the same name, and identifies nine things inhabitants of these areas do that contribute to their long lives (they regularly achieve ages of more than 100).
- They move every day
- They have sense of purpose
- They connect with their community
- They form social groups that live the same kind of lifestyle
- They manage, or avoid, stress
- They only eat until they are about 80% full
- They eat a mostly plant-based diet
- They drink alcohol in moderation
The book discusses all of these to some degree, and how they are followed by the people of Okinawa. Most of the book is devoted to the second item on the list; having a sense of purpose, which the Okinawans call ikigai.
What are the key takeaways of the book?
Of course, Ikigai! For me, this was the part that resonated most. Before reading, I had thought this book would be quite explicit on helping people find their ikigai, or at least refine their focus on it. However, I soon realised that no book can help you find this, as it’s something you have to find for yourself. What the book does do is guide you towards ways of recognising when you might have found your ikigai and then how to improve your lifestyle and habits to maintain it.
I found Chapter 4, “Find Flow in Everything You Do” to be the most powerful. When you are in a state of flow, you are completely absorbed in the task or activity you are doing, and lose all sense of the passage of time. When you experience this, it’s likely a good sign that you have found something that is (at least part of) your ikigai. The author quotes the psychologist, Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, who researched flow, and who states, “There is no magic recipe for living according to your ikigai, but one key ingredient is the ability to reach this state of flow and, through this state, to have an optimal experience”. They key is recognising when you have achieved this state of flow and then seeking ways to repeat and refine your activities to maintain this focus.
The other chapters in the book explore how the Okinawans practice the remaining eight practices of Blue Zone inhabitants, and there is great advice dispersed throughout these chapters, some of which is common sense things we already know, like eating healthily and not too much, while others are reminders of things we should try to do more of, like meditation.
Who should read this book?
Anyone who is trying to find more purpose in their life or work! I picked this book up as I thought it would give me answers to what my purpose, or ikigai, was. It did not, of course, do this. However, what the book did provide was more like a map to help navigate the path of discovery to finding my ikigai for myself. It’s not a long read, but the author does provide a reading list of resources if you are interested to dive deeper into this topic.
