The Japanese philosophy of Ikigai is about finding things that make you cherish the process of living a fulfilled life. Ikigai (生き甲斐) literally translates to reasons to live. A great hobby (or three) will largely help you have a full life.

Ikigai asks us to divide our life into four quadrants – Passion, Profession, Vocation, and Mission.

Things that you love to do are a part of your inherent passion, and achieving your passionate goals is your mission. If you are passionate about something, you’ll try to be good at this something. So, you’ll look for a profession that satisfies your passionate goals thereby ultimately making you good at what you do. If you’re good at something consistently, it becomes your profession a vocation and people will start paying you for your services. Ultimately, what the world needs are passionate people on a mission who have a vocation that supplements their lifestyle. Do all of these simultaneously, you get Ikigai or a reason to live.

If you want to utilize your free time to experience ikigai, you can get some great hobbies. Don’t randomly pick popular hobbies. Pick three hobbies that enrich your life on every front namely creativity, health, and money.

For starters, get a hobby that inspires you to remain creative. Read, write, paint, sculpt, sewing, etc. This creative hobby will definitely elevate your mood. Consequently, it will protect your brain by boosting neural activity in your head. Secondly, get a hobby that keeps you healthy. Play some sport, do yoga, run, etc. This physical hobby will also elevate your mood. Simultaneously, it will also enhance blood circulation around your body making you feel more energetic. Lastly, get a hobby that enables you to make more money. Sell your creative knickknacks, become a freelance fitness instructor; there are so many ways to monetize your creative and physical hobbies.

Just try it once and experience the change it inspires in your daily life. Getting enriching hobbies is the key to leading a happier, healthier, fuller life.