Principles

What is Respect? Do we really understand respect enough to practice it properly ourselves. Are we really teaching respect to our children, or are we confusing it with admiration or fear of authority?  Growing up as the youngest of 5 siblings, people often said to me, “respect your elder.” I …

Nowadays, we can get everything in an instant like buy things online; look for information quickly; and get instant gratification through social media. Some people, especially in the urban cities, run fast-paced lives and they are just jumping from one thing onto the next without finding meaning on what they’re …

Do you feel a pang of envy when you scroll your social media feeds seeing your friends living grand? Do you feel small and average when you compare yourself to others’ lives. Not everything on SNS is real–people only post the things they want other people to see. So don’t …

There is no shortage of productivity techniques that aims to make our workflow smoother and more efficient. However, the Japanese have a different approach when it comes to productivity. We all know that the Japanese tend to be strict when it comes to “time” management, and this shows even at …

So you’re looking for a planner to finally take control of your life this time around. Well, there are many planners out there to choose from, but Ikigai Notes (IN) might just be the life planner you need to help get your life in order and perhaps discover your “ikigai” …

Do you often find yourself in a rut feeling like your burden gets heavier as each day pass by? Why do you think that’s so? Well, most usually it’s got to do with not “living in the now” or not living your life in the present. Let me explain. When …

How many times have you tried adopting a new habit but eventually quit in the end? Ikigai Notes’ Habit Tracker is the answer you’ve been looking for to make the habits you’re working on stick like a magnet. Changing one’s behavior is the first step to improve one’s self. So …

People can change. One of the ways to change for the better is to adopt good habits and do it everyday. Many people underestimate the effectiveness of habits–especially small ones–in changing our lives in the long run. However, these behaviours can make a huge difference in how our life will …

Japanese planners are popular must-haves not only in Japan but abroad too. In Japan, there is a craze called “techo culture,” which is organising and documenting one’s life using a planner or techo. Almost every Japanese owns a planner to manage their affairs. People use planners for various reasons from …

(This is the second part of a two-part series article on the true meaning of Ikigai.) Before we dive deep into the sources of Ikigai, our three Life Tasks, and the guiding principles of Ikigai, let’s first make an etymological survey of the word Ikigai. This would make the literal …