How To Find And Do Work That You Love (Ikigai)

Ikigai (pronounced “eye-ka-guy”) is, above all else, a lifestyle that strives to balance the spiritual with the practical.

This balance is found at the intersection where your passions and talents converge with the things that the world needs and is willing to pay for.

The concept of ikigai is said to have evolved from the basic health and wellness principles of traditional Japanese medicine. This medical tradition holds that physical wellbeing is affected by one’s mental-emotional health and sense of purpose in life.

Japanese psychologist Michiko Kumano (2017) has said that ikigai is a state of wellbeing that arises from devotion to activities one enjoys, which also brings a sense of fulfillment.

Michiko further distinguishes ikigai from transitory pleasure (hedonic, in the ancient Greek sense) and aligns it with eudaimonia — the ancient Greek sense of a life well-lived, leading to the highest and most lasting form of happiness.

The concept of ikigai as a purpose in life with both personal and social dimensions is captured by the well-known ikigai diagram. This diagram includes overlapping spheres covering:

• What you love
• What you are good at
• What the world needs
• What you can get paid for

What you love

This sphere includes what we do or experience that brings us the most joy in life and makes us feel most alive and fulfilled. What we love in this sense might be sailing, writing poetry, rock climbing, singing in a rock band, reading historical novels, spending leisure time with friends, etc.

What is important is that we allow ourselves to think deeply about what we love, without any concern for whether we are good at it, whether the world needs it, or if we can get paid for doing it.

What you are good at

This question is meant to figure out your natural gifts: your talents and skills.

• What parts of your current job are you effortless good at?
• What are you among the best in your workplace/community (or even the whole world) at?
• With some more education and experience, could you be among the best at what you do?

What the world needs

There are numerous resources to help us all answer this question. Would suggest starting with research on jobs that are in demand or that are enjoying projected high growth; emerging fields or emerging technology; and new products and solutions that address human needs.

• What problems in your society would you like to help solve immediately?
• What issues in your community/ the whole world touch you emotionally?
• Are people willing to part with their resources to buy what you’re selling?
• Will your work still be relevant a decade (or even a century) from now?

What you can get paid for

This dimension of the diagram also refers to the world or society at large, in that it involves what someone else is willing to pay you for or “what the market will bear.” You might be passionate about writing poetry or very good at rock climbing, but this does not necessarily mean you can get paid for it.

Whether you can get paid for your passions or talents depends on factors such as the state of the economy, whether your passions/talents are in demand, etc.