Looking for directions in life? Ikigai can be your north star

There’s a TV commercial from a coffee brand that always catches my attention with its slogan that says, “What keeps you awake in the morning?” in which I believe most of us can relate to. We often seek the real purpose in life because it gives us enjoyment in what we do every day, leading to happiness and eventually — hopefully — a long life.

Recently I wrote about “At Kapuhala We Aim to Be a Blue Zone. Do You Want to Know How?”. I was inspired by author Dan Buettner’s research in various areas in Japan, particularly in Okinawa the locals believe that the path to contentment lies in finding your ‘ikigai’.

What is ‘Ikigai’?

Ikigai is a combination of prefices ‘iki‘, which means life or living, and ‘key represents value, effect, result or usefulness. It is a Japanese concept where your passion, mission, calling and career intersect. To better understand Ikigai, an illustration with four overlapping circles of the Venn diagram was created, and they represent:

1. What you love
2. What you are good at
3. What the world needs
4. What you are/could be paid for

In the middle where these four circles meet, is where the ‘ikigai’ lies.

Has it ever happened to you, that you were working on something and you are so into it that you forgot your lunch? You enjoy your task so much that you hope you can do more of it? This beautiful moment is often referred as “being in the “flow”. When you look inside this “flow”, you will find your ‘ikigai’ — it gives you purpose, happiness and a reason to enjoy the things you are doing, making even simple tasks meaningful.

Philosopher and civil rights leader Howard W Thurman once said “Don’t ask what the world needs. Ask what makes you come alive and do that… Because what the world really needs is people who have come alive”.

How to find your ‘Ikigai’?

While finding your ‘ikigai’ is no walk in the park and may take a lifetime for some, you can start understanding yourself with the diagram above.

Start to fill the circles with words, ideas, pictures or anything that fall under the four core questions:

1. What do I love?
2. What am I good at?
3. What can I be paid for?
4. What does the world need?

After you have completed the diagram, try to connect with it and explore your purpose and identity. After all, it is good to self-reflect as things may change and self-reflection will clear up your mind.

Ikigai in the Business world:

In the business world, many organizations are starting to use ‘ikigai’ as part of their strategy. During periods of radical change, employees experience a range of emotions; excitement, curiosity, but mainly anxiety — stems from the unknown, making them wonder whether their jobs are still secure.

A Business’s ‘Ikigai’ is located in the centre of four pillars:

1. Professionalism
2. Impact
3. Business growth
4. People development

Companies should form the structure of the overall strategy base on the business ‘ikigai’.

The concept blends perfectly well with Simon Sinek’s golden circle principle: What do we do? How do we do it? and WHY do we do it?

The answers of these questions lie within the vision and mission of the organization. Managers need to inspire their staff, motivate and drive them — and this is exactly what ‘Ikigai’ means.

Ikigai helps us to find our goals in life or purpose to live life to the fullest and to know our reason for getting up every morning. By being mindful of it, it might just help you live a more fulfilling life.