Discover Your Ikigai: Find Your Reason For Being

I read a book a few years ago called Ikigai: The Japanese Secret to a Long and Happy Life by Hector Garcia and Francesc Miralles.  I was hooked from the first page.  The book talks about how the people of Okinawa, Japan have the most centenarians in the world and one of the reasons is because of their “Ikigai”.

Ikigai, a Japanese concept meaning "reason for being," is the intersection of passion, mission, vocation, and profession. It's where what you love, what you're good at, what the world needs, and what you can be paid for come together in perfect harmony, creating a sense of joy and purpose in life.  It’s really your reason for getting up in the morning.

There are specific questions you ask yourself to uncover yours.  Answering these questions can lead you to your ikigai—a clear starting point for organizing your time, space, and priorities around what truly matters to you.

As a coach, I've seen firsthand how discovering one's ikigai can transform how we approach both life and work. It forms the foundation for aligning your activities with your deepest values and passions, ensuring that each day begins with clarity and purpose.

Ready to explore your ikigai and start living with intention? Click here to access your free  guide that will walk you through the process step-by-step.

Here’s to finding your ikigai and making space for what brings you joy and fulfillment!

Expert Tips for Helping Your Loved One Move to a Retirement Home

Do you have a family member transitioning into a retirement community or assisted living? If so, you understand the emotional and physical labor required to make this transition smooth and positive for your loved one.

In recent months, I’ve made multiple trips to the East Coast to assist my family with my uncle's move. He needed to relocate from Philadelphia to Virginia due to the challenges of living alone as he aged. This experience highlighted the importance of careful planning and organization in making such a transition successful.

Just a few weeks ago, I returned to Virginia to help clear out the rest of my uncle’s house. My parents, who are almost 80, were emotionally and physically exhausted, and I could see how much they needed my help.  These are the steps I took to help empty his house and get him into a retirement community.

 Steps to Empty the House

• Multiple Trips to the Dumpster: It was essential to clear out unnecessary items in an organized manner.
  

• Creating Donation Piles: We sorted through belongings to identify items that could benefit others through thrift stores.
  

• Listing Items for the Dump: We categorized items that were no longer usable or needed.
  

Facilitating the Transition to a Retirement Community

Helping my uncle transition into a retirement community involved several key steps:

• Identifying the Right Home: Finding a community where my uncle felt comfortable was our top priority.
  

• Sorting and Choosing Belongings: We carefully selected items that would make his new home feel familiar and comfortable.
  

• Coordinating Donations and Disposal: Working with neighbors, we organized what to donate, what to dispose of, and what keepsakes to keep.
  

• Realtor Coordination: I found and coordinated with a realtor to list his home on the market.
  

• Preparing the Home for Sale: This included organizing cleaning and necessary repairs to ensure the home was market-ready.
  

While the physical tasks were demanding, the emotional conversations were equally significant. Ensuring that my uncle felt heard and supported throughout the process was crucial. My experience in organizing and managing these transitions can help others facing similar challenges.  If you have a loved one that needs help with this process I’d love to chat.

Taking Some Quiet Time

I've been doing this thing lately, taking an hour in the afternoon as my "quiet time." When I was a kid, my mom would enforce quiet time after our morning swim and dive practice at the pool and after we ate lunch in the summer. Although we disliked the concept, we looked forward to it during practice each day. In the afternoon's white heat, our blinds closed we didn’t have to nap, but we could read. As long as we were quiet. 

Now that I'm a mom, I'm pretty certain my mom started this quiet time for her peace of mind, but over time, it instilled this love for peace and quiet in the afternoon.

Cut to 2024, after breast cancer and a full hysterectomy, I’ve realized I need some down time in my day. I may lay down on my bed and sleep. I slept for an hour and a half the other day. Some days I may lay down and stare out the window. I love gazing at and daydreaming under the gorgeous cypress tree located in my neighbor's yard next door.

I notice that when I take this time I’m in a much better mood when I’m making dinner in the evening. I’m more refreshed. I have energy to do a few chores before bed.

What would you do with some quiet time each day? 

My Non-Negotiables

I first heard the phrase non-negotiables at a yoga retreat.  It reminded me of a business term and was interested in what it had to do with yoga.  The teacher explained that if we don’t honor our body by listening to it each day we can get into trouble.  We can get grumpy, can’t sleep and worse get sick. 

Our assignment was to list 5 things we couldn’t live without each day.  Bare bones.  As in physically.  She mentioned things as basic as drinking water and eating nutritious food.  Maybe movement would be on our list or singing. Here’s mine:

• Water
  

• Eating nutritious food
  

• Quiet time (reading, zoning out and no device)
  

• 8-10 hours of sleep each night
  

• Movement
  

And on a perfect day I’d also get sunshine on my face and spend time with family and friends. 

If you struggle with every one of these every day, you are not alone.  If I’m lucky I get two of them right a day, some days more.  But the older I get the more I realize how important they are.  For instance, if you struggle with drinking enough water try different water bottles or adding yummy things like lemon to make it taste better.

What are your non-negotiables?  

What  helps you move through the day with more ease?  

I’d love to know what yours are.

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If you ever feel buried under your schedule, have too many things going on or just feel overwhelmed, I’d love to talk to you.  Book a call here and let’s powwow about how I can help you feel more grounded and mindful in your day to day.  

How much fun are you having?

I think I received at least 5 things in my inbox this week that had to do with having more fun.  Maybe it’s a hint from the universe.  There were articles from the New York Times, webinars hosted and things posted on Instagram.  It really made me think more about what having fun really means to me.  Personally, I know that I need and want to have more fun in my life.  Laugh more.  Have more deep belly laughs.  I can’t remember the last time my face hurt from smiling too much.  I want that in my life.  Do you?

I especially loved this article from NPR that listed 5 easy ways to make sure you’re having more fun.

• Stop worrying about how happy you are.  In contrast, having fun is pretty easy to achieve.
  

• Find your FUN magnets. Are there activities that you’d like to try that sound fun?  It’s really what tickles your sense of delight.
  

• Put fun on the calendar.  Once you identify what’s fun to you, schedule more of it.  
  

• Unplug.  Technology can be the enemy of fun.  We’re always connected to our phone.  Checking that last email.  And that means we’re not present.  Real fun involves sensory experiences and often interactions with others.
  

• Share the fun and amplify it.  Try sharing what brings you delight with others. Send your friend a silly photo that makes you laugh.
  

  What will you do for fun this week?

Organizing For My Surgery

It seems like right now so many people I know are having some kind of medical issue.  I’m having surgery in a few weeks and I’m trying to get myself organized for it. I’ve been told the recovery is about 4-6 weeks to get back to feeling like my old self.  I’d love to have maximum resting time while I’m recuperating but I’m realizing that what I need to remember is that it’s ok to let some things go.  I’m really going to have to lean on friends and family for a little while. And this is ok, too.  It hasn’t always come naturally to me to allow other people to take care of me but I’m ready.

Besides letting all my clients know and scheduling accordingly in my business I’m going to craft my out of the office email to let everyone know I’ll get back to them as soon as I can.  I’m also trying to do the little things like stock the house with the essentials like toilet paper and laundry detergent.  A few days before the big day I’ll make sure I’ve got lots of healthy, nourishing food on hand.  I feel so grateful that my mom will come out from the east coast to stay with me for a week and realize that not everyone has this luxury.  I also have a few friends who have offered to bring food over in those first few days and I am so grateful for this.

I’m looking forward to reading a new book I’ve ordered and catching up on some shows and know I’ll be back on my feet in no time.

I’d love to teach you strategies for how to be more organized!  Schedule a call with me and I’ll tell you more. If you’d like to book a call with me to find out more, click here.