My Little Ikigai Journal: A Journey into the Japanese Secret to Living a Long, Happy, Purpose-Filled Life

by Amanda Kudo

A guided journal to help you unlock the secret to health and happiness

You can eat healthy, stay active, and keep stress under control but still be overlooking a huge part of the health and happiness equation. That's the headline from experts who study the longest-living people in the world. The missing piece: knowing and honoring your ikigai, or "reason for being." My Little Ikigai Journal is just what you need to discover a sense of purpose worth up to 7 years of extra life expectancy!

-Over 120 pages of thoughtful questions, creative exercises, and little inspirations to guide you to your unique ikigai
-Grow in understanding of what you love, where you excel, how you see the world, and where you can make a difference
-Just moments spent with this journal each day will illuminate your purpose and increase your joy!

Genres: Self Help, Nonfiction, Personal Development, Journal, Spirituality, Japanese Literature, Lifestyle

128 pages, Paperback

Published September 11, 2018

Reviews

[Literary Redhead]

“My Little Ikigai Journal” by Amanda Kudo is a wise little guide for living a happier, more authentic life based on the Japanese concept of Ikigai, or “reason for being.” This truly beautiful book offers more than 120 pages of insightful questions, exercises, and inspiration to lead you to an enhanced sense of purpose, meaning and joy. Highly recommended! 5/5

Pub Date 11 Sep 2018

Thanks to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the review copy. Opinions are fully mine.

#MyLittleIkigaiJournal #NetGalley

[Vanessa]

Thanks to St. Martin's Press for the ARC!

Here's something you should know: there’s no magic formula to calculate your Ikigai. You're not gonna instantly find it on chapter one. However, if you actually take your time and put some effort in your answers, you'll definitely see yourself more clearly.

I also really liked the graphic work and all the inspiring quotes.

It was a very positive experience for me. I totally recommend it.

[Brandi]

It's a nifty little book. I really enjoy the advice and inspirational quotes. The size is great, too. I would definitely recommend this little journal to anyone interested in the Japanese concept of Ikigai. It is well-written, interesting, and easy to understand. My copy of "My Little Ikigai Journal: A Journey Into the Japanese Secret to Living a Long, Happy, Purpose-Filled Life" was won from a Goodreads giveaway and I appreciate the opportunity to read, learn from, and review this book. I look forward to more of Amanda Kudo's works in the future.

[Book Him Danno]

I can't even begin to tell you how much I love My Little Ikigai Journal. Everything in this very short book has help create a better structure for not only me but children. The questions you can answer with as much depth as you want. I enjoy all the creative ways for finding "reason for being."
Its a perfect journal to buy for those who are struggling life with changes that bring them away from the reason for being.
This is an inspired Journal that everyone should own and work on during their daily joys and struggles.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher Castle Point Books for the advance copy of My Little Ikigai Journal

[GONZA]

This is a sort of self help diary/notebook like many before it, the only difference is that is based on the ikigai, which is just the most recent trend of "feeling good doing what you like" magical thinking. I am not saying that because it is bad or useless, it is just not as new as one may think, as it is not the Ikigai as a concept per se, to be precise.

Questo volume é una sorta di diario/quaderno dove annotare tutto quello che ci rende felici o potrebbe farlo, l'unica differenza con tutti quelli che lo hanno preceduto è che questo si basa sull'ikigai, che é solo l'ultima moda. Non lo dico perché lo considero un libro inutile é solo che non mi sembra particolarmente innovativo, come anche il concetto di Ikigai di per sè.

THANKS NETGALLEY FOR THE PREVIEW!

[Jackie B. - Death by Tsundoku]

A nifty journal. I like the advice and inspirational quotes. Paired with the unique page design and the bright colors this is super fun. I struggled at first because I wanted to know how to MAKE my Ikigai immediately. Yeah, there's no magical formula. But after a few pages and commitment to the journaling, I found it became easier.

I will admit, receiving an eARC made journaling challenging. I first tried printing the pages to journal, but that quickly ate up my printer ink. I ended up taking an empty journal and using that to answer the prompts. I would love to have a physical copy some day.

[SahooraQ]

The journal is about finding your IKIGAI through: Passion, Values, Gifts, Possibilities, What you love, Where to Excel, How to See the world, and Where you can make a Difference..It helps you find it by answering the questions and filling the pages..
I loved this journal so much..it completed the book that I’ve read about IKIGAI..it’s even excellent for teens..

[Jess Macallan]

If you're not familiar with the concept of ikigai, it encourages you to find the commonalities between what you love, what you're good at, what the world needs, and what you can be paid for in order to live a happy, fulfilling life. This book is the perfect companion to help you work through each of those sections to help you realize what will get you out of bed every morning.

The prompts are thoughtful and eye-opening, much like sitting down for coffee with the wise friend who always knows what to say to nudge you in the right direction. My aha moments came when I did the Conversation Hearts, Right Where You Belong, Good and Tired, and the Values Menu exercises. I would encourage readers to take their time with each prompt so when they complete their ikigai diagram at the end of the book, they can feel confident they've identified their key areas for living their happiest life.

I received an e-copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

[Emma]

A good little book, to help you figure out yourself and to reached happines and your purpose. Has not done every prompt yet, but what I have finished is good. It makes you think, which is not easy when it is about yourself.

[Mark]

What this book is: A lightweight, guided self-discovery workbook.

What this book isn’t: A clear guide to actually finding your Ikigai. Also, this book is not consistent with Ikigai diagram we’ve all seen online.

Ikigai is almost always presented as four overlapped circles: what you love, what you’re good at, what the world needs, and what you can get paid for. The author replaces “what you can get paid for” with “how you see the world”.

Perhaps more confusing is the fact that the chapters are titled with concepts at intersection of two Ikigai circles, but then subtitles with only one of those circles’ names. So I never really understood what I was working towards.

My biggest complaint is that after chipping away at all the exercises, the final page of the book basically says “re-read what you wrote and put it all together.” Ok...how?

Let me be clear, I have no idea if Ikigai is a real Japanese concept or if it’s just another flavor of the month “imported self help gimmick” (See also books on Hygge and French parenting). But as best I can tell, the author has invented her own version of Ikigai that diverges from the mainstream presentation of the concept.

My advice, go ahead and buy this book if you feel unfulfilled, but really can’t articulate why or where to start making changes. But rip off the cover, intro page, and any references at end of book that mention Ikigai. You’ll have yourself a nice self-discovery book then without the confusion of trying to map to the Ikigai phenomenon.

[Tina Willis]

I won this book in a Goodreads giveaway. For some reason there was a problem (which has never happened before, by the way) and it took quite awhile to reach me...I was sitting on the edge of my seat the whole time, I was so excited to get this book! It is FANTASTIC. First off the size of the book is PERFECT to stick in your purse or a coat pocket to take with you anywhere....which is what I suggest you do. To get the most out of this charming and profound little journal grab whatever moments you have to jot down the answers to these simple questions that will lead you towards a clearer understanding of your path. You dont even have to write down everything, the questions presented will make you THINK about yourself and what makes you....you. And that in itself is the process and the progress. (There is ample room to provide detailed written answers if that is more your style.) This would make a perfect gift for people of all ages just make sure you grab a copy for yourself.

[Hala Salka]

لقد أعجبني الكتاب , فله هيكل منظم وواضح وكل فصل مقسّم إلى تمارين مركّزة تساعدك تمرّين خطوة خطوة في اكتشاف شغفك، مواهبك، قيمك، وإمكاناتك.
ويحتوي على تمارين قابلة للتطبيق الفوري ،
هذا الكتاب لا يعتمد فقط على الأمور النظرية ، بل يعطيكِ مساحة للكتابة والرسم والتخطيط. هذا يجعل الكتاب أكثر تفاعلية من نظيره النظري.
أما بالنسبة للغته : فلغتة مبسّطة وودودة وأسلوبه سلس وغير معقّد، يناسب القراء من جميع الخلفيات العمرية والثقافية.

موجه لاكتشاف الذات العميق

يركّز على أسئلة جوهرية (ما أحب، ما أبرع فيه، ما أؤمن به) بدل الانشغال بخطط سطحية أو خطوات “سريعة وغير متجانسة”.

أنصح بقراءة الكتاب لكل من يريد اكتشاف شغفه أو يبحث عن عمليّة لتوظيف الإيكيغاي لنفسه أو لمتدربيه إن كان مدربا

الخلاصة
هذا الكتاب يقدم مسارًا سلسًا وعفويًا للغوص في الذات واستخراج “بوصلة” الشخصية. إذا كنتِ تبحثين عن دفتر عمل عملي أكثر من كونه كتابًا أكاديميًا، فهذا الكتاب خيار ممتاز. أما إن كنتِ تطمحين لقراءة أكثر عمقًا في نظريات الفلسفة اليابانية أو السيكولوجيا، فقد تحتاجين إلى مصادر تكملية بجانبه.

[Conny]

I was lucky enough to have been a First Read Winner of this little gem, and even though I had to wait a long time to get it in the mail, it was well worth the wait. Actually I think it was almost meant to be, I had been a caregiver to my Mother in Law for many many years, and all of a sudden I have my days to myself again and I was at a bit of a loss as to what to do with myself again. I will be using the tools provided in the Little Ikigai Journal to find out what actually will make me happy again and I already got started on it. This would make a wonderful present for anybody who might just be at a crossroad in their lives or is looking for a more meaningful existence.

[Adrienne]

I received this book via a Goodreads First Reads giveaway.

Loved it! I actually used this book while I was working on a career plan for my business class, trying to figure out what my values are and why, my priorities, what makes me happy, etc. It's a wonderful book that is excellent to use for reflection and learning about yourself. It has helped me solidify in words what my values are, and I plan to continue working through the book. If I decide to get into wellness coaching, I would like to use either some exercises from this book or use the whole book as a workbook with clients. It's that good. (Well, I think so, anyway.).

[Lisa Cobb Sabatini]

I won a copy of My Little Ikigai Journal: A Journey into the Japanese Secret to Living a Long, Happy, Purpose-Filled Life by Amanda Kudo from Goodreads.

Get more insight into yourself by completing the exercises in My Little Ikigai Journal by Amanda Kudo. This simple and colorful journal offers inspirational quotes, asks thoughtful questions, and provides exercises that are brief yet probing. This is not your typical journaling. My Little Ikigai Journal is a journey down a path toward a more conscientious you.

[Lara Amro]

I am a big fan of Japanese culture and beliefs. I picked up this book at a store, after I saw that it is not a normal book with narratives, but rather than exercise book. It has empty spaces to fill out your thoughts on the questions and scenarios that are presented throughout the book. I loved the design and graphics, the colors are super harmonized and calming. There is a related quote at every page which was fun to read. The exercise will push you out of your comfort zone and to discover things about yourself that you already kind of knew but could not put together earlier.

[Violet]

Ikigai : the reason why you wake up in the morning , it will be difficult to find when ur not obligated to any job or relation as in my case I wake up in the morning to have breakfast only sometime because I like egg so what is the meaning of a long life if you don’t live properly , iam just so tired of all of this I try various things but quickly getting bored I frequently get a very bad headache from overthinking well I know being lost is much better than attaching to fake happyness

[Jan]

This was a goodreads win. Thank you. What a great little journal. Very easy to read. Wonderful quotes throughout. Outstanding suggestions, and defiantly a feel good type of book to adjust ones life, suggest continuous reading at different periods in ones life. Always keep in desk drawer, to re read.

[Suraj Kailase]

Liked this book. It felt relatable and very useful to make positive changes for a happy life. It can be very useful to select a right path now and ahead. How to keep your mind and body healthy and active and many such important aspects are been covered in this book. Also the steps or actions suggested in the books are not that hard to perform in real life.

[Evan Moore]

A great workbook that will prompt you to reach out the friends and family in order to find deeper answers to what value you are bringing to the world.

This book is not the end of the journey but rather a process to start you along the path to focus on what your unique value you can bring to the world it.

Just do that. Why waste your time elsewhere?

[QOH]

This book has been amazingly helpful for me in figuring out where, what, and how I want to spend the rest of my life. The exercises are simple but insightful. You could get to the same place with a philosophy class and a Leuchtturm, but it would take you a heck of a lot longer. Recommended.

[Mike He]

My Little Ikigai Journal is a book that is not only to be read, re-read, learned, but also to be chewed, digested, and, most importantly, to be lived within. This book will change the way you look at the world, yourself, and the people around you, one way or the other, in a positive way.

[Zoë Melief]

I really like the vibes of this book. It is very easy to read and gives a lot of inspiration.
I think I would like the 'adult' version a bit better but that's a personal thing. You can read this book with any age.

[Isya]

Sebagian rahasia yang diungkapkan merupakan ajaran keagamaan. Jika buku ini dibaca oleh penganut agama yang taat pasti pd setiap lembaran dia akan mengangguk-angguk krn mengagumi ajaran agamanya. Selamat membuktikan

[Shruti Raja]

Simple with strong language.

[Katie Dawn]

I will definitely come back to this and go over my answers next month, maybe add or change some. I feel like I'm definitely on my way to creating a new path, one leading me to my purpose in life!

[DK]

Best book I ever wrote instead of read! Very enlightening. Very informative and gentle. Empowering. 🙏🏼 thank you this was an incredible 🎁 gift.

[Aileen]

I am slowly Ikigai-ed. worth to read this book.

[Renata’s World]

This is a good little booklet to pick everytime when you need help to find a way to make your life better

[Mayank Madhur]

It is the most amazing self-help book I have ever come across that enables me to look within and search for the purpose of my life.