Ikigai Worksheet Overview
Ikigai is a Japanese word for the things that make life feel worth living. In Japan, an ikigai can be large or small, and the popular four-circle diagram that links it to work and money is a Western take on the idea.
This worksheet starts with your everyday sources of meaning. It then walks you through the four circles: what you love, what you are good at, what the world needs, and what you can be paid for. It ends with prompts to spot where your answers overlap and choose one small step.
In this worksheet, we’ll:
- Explain what ikigai means in Japan and how the Western diagram differs
- Help you notice the small things that make your days feel worthwhile
- Share what research has found about ikigai and health
- Give you a four-circle ikigai diagram and space to fill in each circle
- Walk you through finding overlaps and choosing one small step
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Cohen, R., Bavishi, C., & Rozanski, A. (2016). Purpose in life and its relationship to all-cause mortality and cardiovascular events: A meta-analysis. Psychosomatic Medicine, 78(2), 122-133.
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Kamiya, M. (1966). Ikigai ni tsuite [On ikigai]. Misuzu Shobo.
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Mogi, K. (2018). Awakening Your Ikigai: How the Japanese Wake Up to Joy and Purpose Every Day. The Experiment.
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Sone, T., Nakaya, N., Ohmori, K., Shimazu, T., Higashiguchi, M., Kakizaki, M., Kikuchi, N., Kuriyama, S., & Tsuji, I. (2008). Sense of life worth living (ikigai) and mortality in Japan: Ohsaki Study. Psychosomatic Medicine, 70(6), 709-715.
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