Finding Your Ikigai After 60: A Reason to Get Up in the Morning

2026-11-04 · 5 min read

Many people spend decades knowing exactly why they get out of bed. There's a job to get to, kids to feed, a schedule that runs the day. Then retirement arrives, the kids are grown, and one Tuesday morning you realize nobody is waiting on you. For some people that feels like freedom. For others it feels like a quiet loss. Often it feels like both.

That is where ikigai comes in. It's a Japanese idea that has become popular around the world, and it is one of the two big ideas behind Aging Wildly, the new book by Anne Jensen of Pikes Peak Senior News. In the book, Anne describes ikigai simply as a reason to get up in the morning.

What ikigai is, and what it isn't

You may have seen ikigai drawn online as a diagram with four overlapping circles: what you love, what you're good at, what the world needs, and what you can be paid for. That chart is a modern Western take, and it can be useful for career planning. But it can also make purpose sound like a puzzle only a few lucky people solve.

The everyday meaning is gentler. Ikigai doesn't have to be a career or a grand mission. Anne points out that it might be work, family, faith, service, creativity, curiosity, or even the animal waiting beside the bed. Sometimes it's a person who needs you. Sometimes it's a skill you're not done learning. Sometimes it's simply the next good thing you're ready to do.

Most important of all, ikigai can change as you change. The purpose that carried you at 40 may not fit at 70. That doesn't mean you've lost your purpose. It means it's time to notice the new one.

Why purpose matters more later in life

Researchers who study long-lived communities, often called Blue Zones, have noticed that a sense of purpose shows up again and again among people who stay active and connected into old age. In Okinawa, Japan, the word ikigai itself is part of everyday life. We cover more of those patterns in Blue Zones Lessons You Can Use in Colorado Springs.

You don't need research to see it, though. Most of us know someone who retired and seemed to fade, and someone else who retired and seemed to come alive. Often the difference is whether they found something worth showing up for.

Questions to help you find your ikigai

Grab a notebook and take your time with these. There are no wrong answers, and you don't have to finish in one sitting.

• When do you lose track of time? Gardening, fixing things, reading, talking with grandkids, cooking?
• What do people still come to you for? Advice, recipes, help with a car, a listening ear?
• What did you love as a child or young adult that got pushed aside by work and family?
• What problem in your neighborhood or community bothers you enough that you'd like to help fix it?
• Who would miss you if you stopped showing up somewhere each week?
• What are you still curious about? A language, an instrument, a period of history, a place?

Look for overlaps. If you light up talking about your old woodshop and you've noticed neighbors with broken porch steps, that may be a clue. If you still love teaching and the library needs reading volunteers, that's another.

Ikigai doesn't have to be big

One of the most freeing ideas in the book is that purpose comes in all sizes. A woman who walks her neighbor's dog every afternoon has ikigai. So does a man who keeps the coffee going at his church. So does a grandmother who sends handwritten birthday cards to every grandchild, or a retired nurse who checks in on three widows on her street.

These may not sound impressive, but they give a day shape. They create a small promise to someone else. And they remind you that you matter to people.

Places to explore purpose in Southern Colorado

If you're in Colorado Springs or nearby, there are plenty of places to test out a new sense of purpose without a big commitment:

• Volunteer programs at hospitals, libraries, schools, and food pantries, many of which welcome a few hours a week.
• Senior centers and community centers that offer classes, clubs, and group outings.
• Faith communities, which often need help with meals, visits, and events.
• Veterans organizations, if you served or want to support those who did.
• Parks and trail groups that organize cleanups and guided walks.
• Part-time or seasonal work, which we explore in our post on encore careers and volunteering.

Senior expos are another good starting point. Anne's events in Colorado Springs bring together many organizations under one roof, so you can talk with several groups in a single afternoon and see what sparks interest.

When ikigai feels hard to find

If you're grieving, recovering from an illness, or caring for a loved one, the idea of finding purpose can feel like one more chore. Be gentle with yourself. During hard seasons, purpose may simply be getting through the day, taking care of the person in front of you, or letting others help. That counts.

If a low mood has lasted for weeks, or you've lost interest in nearly everything, talk with your doctor. Feeling down is common, but it isn't something you have to carry alone, and help is available.

Let purpose grow one step at a time

You don't need to know your ikigai before you start. In fact, most people find it by trying things. That's where ikigai pairs naturally with kaizen, the other big idea in Aging Wildly: getting a little better each day through small steps. Try one class, one volunteer shift, one conversation, and pay attention to how you feel afterward. Then do more of what makes you feel alive. For a closer look at that approach, read Kaizen for Seniors: Small Daily Steps That Add Up.

The planned Aging Wildly Workbook will include space to explore your ikigai on paper. Until then, a simple notebook works just fine.

Your kaizen steps this week

• Answer two of the questions above in writing. Just a few sentences each.
• Make a list of five people or causes you care about. Circle the one you'd most like to do something for.
• Call or visit one place, a library, senior center, church, or nonprofit, and ask what kind of help they need.

Keep reading

• Kaizen for Seniors: Small Daily Steps That Add Up — Kaizen is the practice of getting a little better every day. For older adults, tiny steps often work better than big resolutions, and they add up faster than you'd think.
• Blue Zones Lessons You Can Use in Colorado Springs — You don't have to move to a Greek island to borrow the habits of the world's longest-lived communities. Here's how Blue Zones lessons fit everyday life in Southern Colorado.
• Beating Loneliness After 60: Practical Ways to Stay Connected — Loneliness can creep in after retirement, a move, or a loss. Here are practical, low-pressure ways to rebuild connection, one small step at a time.