How Ikigai Transformed the Money Lives of the Couples I Coached—and Their Path to a Long and Happy Financial Journey Together

My Discovery of Ikigai—and Its Surprising Impact on Indian Couples

As a founder of The Richness Academy, I’ve spent decades helping couples across India find clarity in their money lives. But something changed a few years ago. It began when I stumbled upon a small book with a beautiful blue cover: Ikigai: The Japanese Secret to a Long and Happy Life.

At first, I thought it was just another lifestyle guide. But as I dived deeper, I realized it held powerful lessons—not just for aging gracefully, but for how couples can live joyfully, with money, purpose, and togetherness. That’s when I began integrating Ikigai into my Couple Finance Formula™.

Today, I want to share what happened when I did that.

What Is Ikigai—And Why Should Couples Care?

Ikigai (生き甲斐) loosely translates to “your reason for being.” It’s the force that gets you up in the morning—your intersection of what you love, what you’re good at, what the world needs, and what you can be rewarded for.

For Japanese centenarians, it might be tending a garden, cooking for family, or joining their moai (a group of lifelong friends). For Indian couples? I’ve seen it become their shared vision of raising children, building a second home in the hills, funding a business dream, or even retiring early to serve society.

Ikigai isn’t a destination—it’s a compass. When couples find their shared Ikigai, their financial decisions begin to align with something deeper. They stop reacting, and start creating.

Couples I’ve Coached Who Found Their Ikigai (and Flourished Financially)

1. Rachna & Sameer—From EMI Overload to a Purposeful Pause

I met Rachna and Sameer, both software professionals from Bengaluru, in a financial mess. Multiple EMIs, stress-induced health issues, and arguments over “who spent more.”

In our first Ikigai-based session, I asked, “What’s your shared reason for being?” After some silence, Rachna whispered, “To live close to the land.” Sameer nodded, eyes widening.

Six months later, they’d sold one apartment, cleared debt, and moved into a small rented house on the city’s outskirts with a backyard for organic farming. They started a YouTube channel called “Code to Crop.” Money is no longer a fight—it’s fuel.

2. Sandeep & Anjali—Ikigai Saved Their Retirement Vision

This Gurugram-based couple came to me worried about their shrinking retirement corpus. They had SIPs but no joy.

Their Ikigai? Teaching underprivileged kids. We restructured their portfolio to create a “giving while living” fund, and within a year, they were running weekend classes for 20 children.

Result? Renewed energy, greater investment discipline, and a deeper sense of wealth that no stock market could offer.

What Ikigai Taught Me (and My Couples) About Money

1. Money Should Serve Meaning, Not Replace It

Okinawan centenarians don’t chase bank balances—they chase purpose. When couples define their “why,” the “how much” takes care of itself.

2. Stay Financially Active—Don’t Retire Your Passion

There’s no word for “retirement” in Japanese. Many couples I advise in their 50s are now planning second careers—mentoring, travel blogging, pottery—funded by carefully crafted annuity plans.

3. Live Light, Eat Light, Spend Light

“Hara hachi bu”—eat until 80% full. A similar mindset now shapes how I teach budgeting. Leave room. Stop at 80%. You’ll never feel bloated or broke.

How to Find Your Ikigai as a Couple: A 5-Step Richness Way
        1.      Journal Your Joys: Separately, write down what you both love doing—even if it’s “making tea while it rains.”
        2.      Uncover Your Talents: What do others thank you for? Are you the budget master or the social glue?
        3.      Spot What the World Needs: It could be local mentorship, spiritual retreats, or helping family businesses.
        4.      Craft a Vision Board Together: My couples use our “Couple Vision Anchors™” to visually connect dreams with money goals.
        5.      Align Investments to Purpose: Once you find your Ikigai, I help convert it into SIPs, STPs, annuities, or retirement goals.

What I Learnt from Japan’s “Moai” Groups—And Recreated for Indian Couples

One of the most moving lessons in Ikigai is the Okinawan tradition of “moai”—tight-knit circles of friends who support each other for life.

I asked myself—can I create a moai for couples in India?

That’s how our “Richness Inner Circle” was born—weekly online sessions where couples share wins, ask questions, and stay accountable to their Ikigai-inspired plans. We’ve seen couples build new businesses, heal marriages, and even take sabbaticals after years of burnout.

Community isn’t an add-on to financial success—it’s the foundation.

From Flow to Fortune: Why Money Feels Better When You’re in Flow

A key part of Ikigai is “flow”—the state where time disappears. For some couples, it’s building a balcony garden; for others, it’s budgeting together on Sundays.

In one memorable case, a couple in Jaipur restructured their weekend routine around “Financial Flow Sundays.” They turned budgeting into a ritual—with chai, a candle, and music. They went from scattered spending to saving 40% of their income—effortlessly.

Money managed in flow is money multiplied in joy.

Resilience, Wabi-Sabi, and the Joy of Enough

Another beautiful lesson in Ikigai is “Wabi-sabi”—the beauty of imperfection. Many couples I coach arrive feeling broken by past mistakes.

But I remind them: just like a Japanese kintsugi bowl, their cracks can be filled with gold. That’s where true richness lies.

Ikigai isn’t about perfection. It’s about direction. And money is simply the chisel that helps you shape your chosen path.

My Final Words to You as a Financial Freedom Coach

I believe that every couple in India deserves to find their Ikigai—not just for health and happiness, but for wealth that lasts generations.

If you’re reading this as a couple, here’s what I’d urge:
        •       Don’t chase a goal; chase meaning.
        •       Don’t wait for a crisis to find your purpose.
        •       Don’t ask “how much money is enough”—ask “what’s our Ikigai?”

And then let your money follow your meaning.

That’s not just retirement planning.
That’s Richness.

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