The Oxford English Dictionary defines ikigai as "a motivating force; something or someone that gives a person a sense of purpose or a reason for living". More generally it may refer to something that brings pleasure or fulfilment.

In Japan, millions of people have ikigai (pronounced Ick-ee-guy)— a reason to jump out of bed each morning.

What’s your reason for getting up in the morning?

Although the concept of ikigai has long existed in Japanese culture, it was first popularised by Japanese psychiatrist and academic Mieko Kamiya in her 1966 book "On the Meaning of Life"

The stress doesn’t stop there, so it's better to find the purpose of our life and be successful in our profession and life.

It won’t come as a surprise that more and more people these days struggle to find the motivation to wake up in the morning. A large amount drives themselves to work, then sit in the car procrastinating and not wanting to get out and walk into the office.

Usually, there’s nothing particularly wrong with the job they’re doing. They’re just not happy.

Now, imagine yourself waking up every single morning with a sense of excitement and happiness, ready for whatever the day has prepared for you. That’s what Japanese people call ”Ikigai” or the “reason for being” – and they’ve found the secret formula for it.