Ikigai: Finding the Sweet Spot of Getting Paid to Do What You Love

Abandon • Let go.

Change • Shift.

Quit • Refocus.

Language is a crazy powerful tool.

 

The idea of quitting a role we’ve worked so hard to reach and abandoning the safety of what we know feels terrifying. Change is scary as hell!

 What if instead we looked at the same change as letting go of what is no longer serving us and refocusing our lifestyle on something more fulfilling? A shift in our lives feels strangely more organic and manageable.

Perspective is a funny thing, hey?

Finding the sweet spot of getting paid to do what you love is something we should all strive towards. It sounds so simple, but so many of us struggle to find that balance.

The Japanese have a term for this sweet spot. It’s called ikigai (pronounced: ick-ee-guy). Your ikigai is your purpose in life or your reason for getting out of bed in the morning and it’s ever-evolving. Just like you. Throughout your life, it’s totally normal for your ikigai to shift. It’s never too late to revive and redefine it. In Japan, you don’t retire; you simply shift your ikigai. You stop your working role and your ikigai shifts to community and family.

So, how do you find your ikigai?

Well, it’s all about reassessing your passions, your strengths, your values, and finding that sweet spot in the middle.

Lucky for us, when the Japanese invented this term, they also invented a handy Venn diagram to go with it. The Venn diagram asks you to look at four things: what you love, what you’re good at, what you can be paid for and what the world needs. The intersection where these four answers overlap is your ikigai.

In addition, the diagram has four sections for your consideration: passion, mission, profession and vocation. A common issue is that we tend to get caught up in the profession section of the Venn and totally neglect all of the other aspects. So typical of us overachieving career types.

When our focus is totally unbalanced, it’s no surprise we find ourselves discontent and unfulfilled. If all you focus on is work, you’re totally going to be left feeling like there must be more than what you currently have, because, uh… *waves from the other side of the ikigai diagram* … there totally is! 

A thorough look at all four important areas of the wheel is life-changing. That’s why helping people find their ikigai is one of the core reasons I set up my executive coaching business.

Many even suggest that the reason the Japanese have one of the longest life expectancies in the world is because their lifestyles are so closely aligned with their true reason for being. Finding practical ways to improve your life, happiness and fulfillment truly is liberating.

You may find a drastic change is what you need or perhaps just a slight pivot within your career. It’s amazing what a shift in focus and emphasis of your time can do. Combine that shift with a revived mindset that’s working for you instead of against you and you truly will find you have more of a reason to get out of bed every morning.

There is nothing more fulfilling than seeing someone emerge as a more empowered, happy and fulfilled version of themselves. I consider myself incredibly lucky that I have found my own ikigai in helping others find theirs.

If you want some tips or support for finding your ikigai, I have a simple and concise checklist that you can use to get you started. For now, though, just ask yourself the following: If there were no obstacles or limitations in my path, what would I be and why?

Hint: Go with your gut.

There’s always a reason to leave prioritising our happiness till later, but let’s face it, that’s a habit we could all do without.

The best time to take action is today.

Download my free Ikigai guide or book a free discovery call and let’s get you unstuck and on the path to finding your ikigai