You and Your Ikigai
Ikigai comes from the Japanese words ‘iki’ (to live) and ‘gai’ (reason).
Is Ikigai an expression you hear too often? Have you been asked if you have found your Ikigai? What is Ikigai and what is the hype all about? While there is no direct translation of Ikigai in English, the Ikigai concept simply encapsulates the idea of finding happiness in a real world.
Ikigai is deeply rooted in the Japanese philosophical and cultural ethos where contentment of oneself marries personal contribution. This epitomizes the concept of living a balanced life, not simply only doing what one is most passionate about, but doing it as a profession to serve a bigger mission, and in doing so, finds financial satisfaction and sustainability.
Often depicted as a four-circle Venn diagram, the Ikigai frameworks provides a guide to identify the intersection of what you love doing, understanding your strength, what the world needs, and what you are remunerated for.
THE IKIGAI FRAMEWORK
The Definition
This visual tool highlights the heart or center of the Ikigai, and the overlapping of life’s four crucial elements points to the intersections where passion, skills, and what the worlds needs come into alignment with a realization of financial rewards and personal contentment.
Interestingly, Ikigai is similar to the system of philosophical and ethical teachings of Taoism or Confusianism, whose followers keenly embrace the concept of balance, harmony and purpose in life.
The Four Dimensions of Ikigai
In today’s world, we are not short of options to create or carve out personal goal setting missions. Many of us have seen our children and children’s children succeeding in education and achieving early career success much sooner than the generations before them. The Ikigai serves as a compass to guide us into a path to discover a joyful and financially fulfilling destination. What is most meaningful is to embrace the journey with an attitude of modesty and humility, allowing each opportunity to shape and elevate us into a higher ground to attain a more rewarding personal achievement, whatever it may be for each of us.
Identifying what you genuinely love is the cornerstone of discovering your Ikigai. This step goes beyond mere hobbies or leisure activities as it delves deeply into the core of what makes your heart sing. Whether it is an artistic expression, intellectual pursuits, or in nurturing relationships, understanding your passion is the first step towards fulfiling your deep seated life of fulfilment.
The second dimension involves a realistic assessment of your skills and talents. This is not just about identifying what you enjoy but also recognizing what you excel at. It could be a natural talent for communication, a knack for problem-solving, or a specific skill like coding, cooking or painting. Aligning your vocation with your passion paves the way for a more satisfying career and personal life.
This dimension prompts you to look beyond personal interests and consider your role in a broader context. What are the issues or needs in your community or the world that resonate with you? How can your talents and passions be harnessed to address these needs? This element of Ikigai emphasizes the importance of social contribution and the connection with your expertise.
The final piece of the Ikigai puzzle involves realizing a financial reward in your passion and skills. This does not necessarily mean turning every passion into a career; rather, it is about finding the intersection where passion, talent, and economic viability meet. This could involve compromise and innovation but in realizing a remuneration, the pathway to achieving a sustainable Ikigai is as real as it can be.
IKIGAI IN THE WORKPLACE
Finding Balance Between Purpose
and Productivity
An average person spends about
8 hours at work daily
The quality of our work experiences can influence our level of happiness in and out of the workplace. To have Ikigai is to allow yourself to seek work or roles that align with the center of your Ikigai, where you you are at your best state to generate optimum productivity and satisfaction.
Thriving professionally and personally is not a random stroke of a genius, but a disciplined set of navigational and organizational skills, learning, diligence and drive.
Maintaining a healthy balance is crucial when putting our work responsibilities on the same scale as where we pursue meaningful family time and personal recreation.
The daily movements combining physical and mental exertions of our agenda will manifest in our satisfaction with our achievements for the day.
How is your Ikigai today?
THE DAILY IKIGAI
Living Your Ikigai Through Everyday Actions
Incorporating Ikigai into your daily life does not require grand gestures; often, it is the small, everyday predictable actions that add up. It could be as simple as dedicating time to a hobby or a pet you love, volunteering for a cause you care about, or making choices in your daily routine that align with your personal values and passions. These small acts, can cumulatively lead to a significant sense of fulfilment and purpose.
In reiteration, a good sense of Ikigai is greatly helpful in conceptualizing all the various life components to align with your your passion, mission, vocation, and profession. In the long term, we will identify with ourselves as we make plenty of choices a day, each choice defining our actions and expectations toward a certain outcome in life. In and of itself, we all hope to attain an intangible form of happiness which is beyond currency and professional status.
FINAL THOUGHTS
There is no right way or wrong way of how we each compartmentalize our different dimensions of aspiration and wellbeing. Ikigai is a state of being that guides our personal motivation and direction. It is a process of continual learning and contemplation, a lifelong journey of adaptation and discovery.
And since we are all different and unique individuals, we are each entitled to use our resources to develop what is most right and fulfilling for us while contributing to societal good—this is our aim at midcareers.sg. You are entitled to question your mid-career choices, or research into additional opportunities that will best marry your skills and professional aspirations. Ikigai is just a guide, while happiness and balance is defined and sought differently for each person. Ultimately, it is what we do that defines us