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Discover How To Unlock Your Ikigai: A Pathway To Meaningful And Fulfilling Life

by Nelson Tan

Years ago, the presenter of a personal development seminar which I attended talked about finding "the nexus of your professional life". He said if you could do something that you loved, that you have a talent for and that you could make money out of it, you would have lived a life of contentment.

Turns out there is a Japanese word—one of those privileged words that have entered the English lexicon—for it: Ikigai. The Japanese concept is best understood as you study the Venn diagram above. In all varying degrees, we all know someone personal or famous who lives out the principles of Ikigai. A terrific example would be Michael Jordan: Notwithstanding the hardship and monotony of training, he loves basketball, excels at playing basketball (as compared to baseball) and earns millions out of an illustrious sporting career.

Entrepreneurs too, if they were to stick to doing the same business every day, in all their persistence, commitment and consistency, have to strive to understand and grasp Ikigai fully. It is interesting to note from personal experience, that when the circles of Ikigai do not overlap in some aspects of my life, I could actually live with it but compensate for the lack of fulfilment with an entirely different activity in a different context or environment. For example, I don't like my job, but the things I do at church over the weekend have so filled me with spiritual solace that I am able to recharge and prepare myself to face the next work week. At least, it is the best outcome I can arrange for myself at the moment, and you too will find your way out by "compartmentalizing activities" as time passes. This article reinforces my idea with the practice of "identity diversification".

The truth is Ikigai resonates with people across cultures, even if they have not heard of the word, addressing the universal desire for a meaningful existence. It has the potential to guide individuals toward a rich and meaningful life. Embracing Ikigai leads to increased well-being, mental health and life satisfaction.

Now that you know what Ikigai means, where do you start with its application?

Firstly, let me emphasize again that it is rare for a person to discover the one activity that s/he is willing and passionate of doing for most of the day, for the rest of his/her life and get enormously paid for the work. You might come across a humble bookstore owner or a food seller who has been plying their trade for 20, 30-odd years but deep down, they probably would wish to do something else if not for the fact that what they do now is good enough to place food on the table.

Anyways, it's not just one type of work, but a combination of activities that brings satisfaction and contentment not just to yourself but also to the people around you.

So, according to the Venn diagram, there are 4 questions you need to answer:

1) What do you love to do?

Sure, no one likes to work, but we are going to 'adult' sooner or later. Opportunities are abundant for anyone to turn what they enjoy doing into a profit-making business. Even gamers are turning professional. The big difference is changing your attitude of doing things from casual to serious.

2) What are you good at?

By the time you reach adulthood, you probably would have attained core competencies through educational and practical experiences. If you are undecided about your talents, look back on your academic reports and consider the subjects you scored grade 'A' for. If you were great with languages, would you think you could write a novel? If you have a knack for math, would you embark on a career in finance?

Perhaps there are other things that come so naturally to you that you do them well without realizing it, but people close to you may have seen it for themselves. Here's a tip: ask at least 10 people whom you think know you well what they think you are good at. What they say just might surprise you.

It could be the case that what you do very well aligns with your character. If you are generous and love to share, consider becoming a professional trainer so you can earn top dollar by sharing your knowledge, skills or expertise. If you are a caring person, would you enter the hospitality industry, become a counsellor, volunteer in an elderly care home etc.?

Ultimately, 'love' is the paramount question. Talented work without love leads to a dry life, unless in your opinion, a dry life is good enough to place food on the table.

3) What the world needs?

Wherever and whenever there is a need, there is market. Do research online, read up on market survey results. Check on your competitors. Discover the successful brands or businesses in the marketplace and find out how have they done well. Instead of challenging your competitors head-on, find "market gaps" which other businesses have overlooked and fulfill the needs of the sub-markets.

4) What can you get paid for?

Salary information is also easily available online. Look it up at Glassdoor, or google "salary range for [occupation]". Consult a career coach to come up with a pathway strategy on achieving your target salary.

If you are an entrepreneur or business owner, the most important equation to remember is:

price of your product/service × no. of customers = gross income

Even if you are doing non-profit work—anything from cooking to caregiving—you can turn it around and write from experience a book for sale.

More suggestions:

a) Visualize the person whom you want to be 5 years from now because you have achieved your Ikigai. Well respected? An authoritative person whom others want to look up to? A role model? Or you just want to be happy and content with a life that runs on efficiency and clockwork?

b) Break up that vision into bite-sized practical steps and goals. Do you need to take up a course to sharpen a desired expertise? What community would you like to get involved with? What kind of constructive friends would you like to surround yourself with? What available resources are you grateful for and can harness in order to bring yourself a step closer towards your desired future?

How would you wind yourself down (healthily; no drinking!) when you are not working? Examples: sports, hobbies, meditation, hiking, spend time with loved ones, music etc.

c) Would your Ikigai require that you start a side hustle? How much time off your main job could you allocate for it? Would you require help from a family member to keep this side-line running? Employ a freelancer for help?

Certainly, this article is by no means be-all-and-end-all; you are just getting started to taking control of your destiny. I hope the pointers contained herein are at least helpful at generating more ideas or motivating you to research other sources of information. Most of all, enjoy the journey while stopping by to smell the roses.

Nelson Tan is the webmaster behind Internet Mastery Center. Download $347 worth of FREE Internet Marketing gifts at http://www.internetmasterycenter.com.

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