Ikigai

Ikigai is that which gives your life meaning, purpose, or worth. To mix languages, it's your raison d'être—your reason for being.

The concept is simple, it is the Venn diagram of:

• What you love (Passion)
• What you are good at (Vocation)
• What the world needs (Mission)
• What you can be paid for (Profession)

How to find your Ikigai

Reflect Deeply

Spend time thinking and journaling about each of the four areas. Don't worry too much about overlap or intersections at this point (but note them down if you find them).

Seek Feedback

Sometimes others can see our strengths and passions more clearly than we can. Ask friends, family, and colleagues what they think you excel at and what they come to you for.

Try New Things

Experiment with new hobbies, skills, and types of work. You might find something you didn't even know you would love. Finding out that you don't enjoy these new activities is a great result too. This reinforces the passions you already have.

Look for Overlaps

Because ikigai sits at the center of the four areas, spend time looking for intersections and overlaps.

Prioritize

Take all the overlaps you found, and rank them based on how many criteria they meet and how strongly you feel about each point.

Be Patient

Don't rush this process. You likely won't find a final answer. You may pursue a direction and find that it changes over time. That's okay!

Get an Unbiased Opinion

An outside perspective, from a career coach, therapist, or mentor might help you find things you hadn't considered.

Visualize Your Perfect Day

Try to imagine a day where everything feels perfect. What does that look like? What are you doing, and with whom? This won't give you a definitive answer, but it can help to point you in the right direction.

Take your time.

Enjoy the process of discovering what brings meaning to your life—it's not something that happens overnight. Spend time thinking deeply, trying new things, and building relationships, and you can't help but to narrow in on your ikigai.