What is Ikigai?
Ikigai, a Japanese concept, translates to “a reason for being.” At its core, it’s about discovering the sweet spot where what you love, what you’re good at, what the world needs, and what you can be paid for intersect. This alignment not only helps you find purpose in life but also leads to a greater sense of happiness, motivation, and personal satisfaction.
The Ikigai diagram is a powerful visual tool that breaks down this idea into four main components: passion, vocation, mission, and profession. By exploring and reflecting on each, you can find your Ikigai — your reason for jumping out of bed each morning with a sense of direction and joy.
Breaking Down the Ikigai Diagram
At first glance, the Ikigai diagram may seem like a complex puzzle, but it’s really a straightforward way of visualising life’s key elements.
Here’s how each part plays a role:
1. Passion (What You Love)
This element represents the things that bring you joy and excitement. It’s the activities or interests that make time fly. Whether it’s painting, writing, coding, or cooking, your passions are the pursuits that you would gladly do without being told.
Reflection Questions:
• What activities or hobbies make you feel most alive?
• If money or societal pressures weren’t a concern, what would you spend most of your time doing?
2. Vocation (What You’re Good At/ Your Strengths)
Vocation focuses on your skills and talents—the things you excel at. You might be a brilliant communicator, a skilled programmer, or an exceptional problem-solver. This part is all about recognizing your natural strengths and abilities.
Reflection Questions:
• What do people often praise you for?
• Which activities come naturally to you without much effort?
3. Mission (What the World Needs)
Your mission addresses the impact you want to make in the world. It taps into your desire to contribute to something greater than yourself, whether that’s helping your community, addressing a global issue, or improving lives in some meaningful way.
Reflection Questions:
• What problems in the world are you passionate about solving?
• How can your unique skills and passions make a difference?
4. Profession (What You Can Be Paid For)
While the other elements may feel more personal or abstract, this one brings a practical lens to your Ikigai. It’s about aligning your talents and passions with a sustainable way to earn a living. This ensures that your life’s purpose is not only fulfilling but also financially sustainable.
Reflection Questions:
• What are you currently paid for, or what could you be paid for?
• How can your skills and interests align with a marketable career?
The Magic of Overlap: Discovering Your Ikigai
Finding your Ikigai lies in the overlap of these four elements. It may take time, self-reflection, and even trial and error, but it’s a journey worth embarking on. Let’s break down how these intersections work:
Passion + Vocation:
You love what you do, and you’re good at it, but you might not be paid for it, or it might not serve a greater purpose.
Vocation + Profession:
You’re skilled at something and can make a living from it, but it might not be something you’re passionate about or aligned with your values.
Profession + Mission:
You’re doing something the world needs and are getting paid for it, but it might not fulfill you on a personal level.
Mission + Passion:
You love it, and it contributes to the world, but you might struggle to monetize it or turn it into a sustainable career.
The ultimate goal is to find the center where all four come together.
That’s your Ikigai.
This is where passion, vocation, mission, and profession all align to give your life purpose and direction.
The Benefits of Living Aligned with Ikigai
Aligning your life with your Ikigai offers numerous benefits that impact both your mental and physical well-being. Let’s take a look at some of the most significant advantages:
Increased Happiness: When you live according to your Ikigai, you wake up each day with a sense of excitement and purpose. You’re doing work that energizes and inspires you, which naturally boosts your happiness levels.
Reduced Stress: By aligning what you do with what you’re passionate about, you reduce the stress that often comes from doing unfulfilling work or feeling disconnected from your purpose.
A Sense of Fulfilment: There’s nothing more satisfying than knowing your work is meaningful, that you’re making a difference, and that you’re being compensated for it. Living in alignment with your Ikigai brings a deep sense of contentment and fulfilment.
Enhanced Motivation: When your passions align with your profession and mission, work doesn’t feel like a chore. You stay motivated because you’re invested in what you’re doing.
Improved Health: Several studies suggest that living with purpose can lead to better health, both mentally and physically. It reduces the likelihood of depression, anxiety, and even chronic diseases.
Personal Growth: Discovering your Ikigai encourages continuous self-improvement. As you pursue your passions and contribute to the world, you’ll naturally grow and evolve as a person.
How to Start Uncovering Your Ikigai
Discovering your Ikigai doesn’t happen overnight. It requires reflection, exploration, and sometimes even trial and error. Here are some practical steps to get started:
1. Self-Reflection
Spend some quiet time thinking about what truly makes you happy, where your talents lie, and how you can use these to contribute to the world. You could start by journaling or meditating to gain clarity.
2. Experiment with Your Interests
You might have multiple passions or talents, and that’s okay. Try different activities or projects that excite you and see which ones stick. This could help you hone in on your true calling.
3. Seek Feedback
Ask friends, family, or colleagues for their honest input about your strengths and the impact you’ve had on them. Sometimes, others can see what you can’t.
4. Set Small Goals
Once you have an idea of what your Ikigai might be, start setting small, actionable goals to move toward it. Whether it’s picking up a new skill, taking a course, or transitioning to a new career, take steps to align your life with your Ikigai.
5. Be Patient
Remember, this is a journey of self-discovery. It may take time, and your Ikigai may evolve as you grow and change. Embrace the process.
Solopreneur Success OS
We go through extensively to identify your Ikigai under Phase 1: Aim of the Solopreneur Success OS.
In the Aim phase, solopreneurs lay the foundation for their business. Here, you define clear, actionable goals and envision your venture's future. It's about painting a vivid picture of success for your business and charting the course to achieve it. By setting strategic objectives and planning your path, you establish the groundwork for sustainable success.
How you start your business can significantly impact its success or failure. Without a plan, a business may underperform or succeed in ways that don't align with the owner's vision.
If you find yourself managing a business that isn't progressing as you hoped, use this process to explore how you can reinvent your business to work better for you.
Key Activities:
Define Your Business Goals
Envision Your Business Venture
Plan Your Business Journey
Set Up Your Business
We also have Phase 2: Create and Phase 3: Evolve.
Check out the Solopreneur Success OS.
Final Thoughts
Discovering your Ikigai is more than just finding the perfect job or a new hobby. It’s about creating harmony between your passion, your talents, your contribution to the world, and your profession.
The journey of uncovering your Ikigai may take time and effort, but it’s a rewarding path that leads to a more fulfilled, balanced, and purpose-driven life.
So, take a deep breath, dive into self-reflection, and begin exploring the beautiful intersections of your life.
Your Ikigai is waiting to be discovered.
Some Questions About Ikigai
1. Can my Ikigai change over time?
Yes, as you grow and evolve, your Ikigai may shift as well. What brings you purpose at one stage of life may change as your interests, talents, or the world’s needs change.
2. Is it necessary for Ikigai to be career-related?
Not at all. While Ikigai can align with your career, it can also manifest in other areas of your life, such as hobbies, volunteering, or personal projects.
3. How long does it take to find my Ikigai?
There’s no set timeline. It varies from person to person. Some people may discover it quickly, while others may spend years reflecting and experimenting before finding it.
The happiest people are not the ones who achieve the most. They are the ones who spend more time than others in a state of flow.
- García & Miralles
Interesting Substacks I Read This Week:
5 Ways To Fail As A Solopreneur by
Don’t Underestimate How Much You Know (That Others Don’t) by
“You Are Your Niche” Is Terrible Advice For 97% of Writers by
🔎 Which Substack Publications Charge the Highest Subscription Fees (And Why They Can Charge So Much) by
The Current State of AI Markets by
How to Successfully Launch a Digital Product in 3 Steps by
💌 Why your email list is your book's best friend by
How to Make Your Substack Posts Perform Better by
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Anfernee
I noticed that nobody mentions that there can be 2 or more IKIGAIs…
That is my situation, which leads to conflicts in time and space, mentally and emotionally…when you have 2 perfectly aligned purposes that fulfill all the elements and it’s very hard to implement in real life mostly due to lack of time and because it may confuse the people you’re trying to help because they can’t identify you as one competent person in totally different domains…
This is me: a main career as an immigration lawyer, which completes all the circles, justice is a passion and mission that I love, I am good at it and get paid for it, I definitely believe it’s a vocation because it really comes naturally to me and is rewarding to make people happy…
A second lateral career as an interior designer, which also completes all the circles, creating and imagining and transforming spaces to make them beautiful is my passion and feels like a mission to help people live well and I love it, I am good at it and can get paid for it, it’s a meaningful profession and certainly a vocation, a call for me that comes very naturally and something I can’t stop thinking about and there is proof it can make people very happy…
A dilemma I’m grateful for 🩶