Decision Making Using IKIGAI

What is IKIGAI:

We all make decisions in our routine but there are few decisions which we take very seriously as it affects our existence. Hence when it comes to career planning we all are confused. How do we find happiness in our work? How do we find a profession that not just meets our passion but also pays well 🙂 IKIGAI is a Japanese concept for finding purpose in life. The purpose of being…..

IKIGAI is a simple, yet effective tool to identify a meaningful and gratifying work profile for all those amongst us who are seeking satisfaction and happiness in our work and life.

Here’s a practical guide on how to use IKIGAI for unlocking your true potential:

 1. What you love to do?

A usual first step towards charting one’s career path (job or business) is to look at what is high in demand. Most people decide a career on the basis of popular choices.

However, IKIGAI insists that we first Identify what we love to do the most. One needs to identify work / tasks we enjoy the most, something no matter how many hours you need to put in, it never feels like work or tiring. It is something that one’s heart is truly happy doing, one just enjoys the process of doing it with sheer joy. 

It could be: Singing, designing, teaching, people management, event organizing, cooking etc.

 2. What the world needs?

In the context of what you love to do - observe what the world needs. Research, gather information, interact with people engaged in similar fields, get a first hand experience through internship / apprentice / on site project work.

Understand what are the true needs of people in the area of your interest. Don’t just look at market trends but go a few layers deep to know what people truly need. While this may be a bit of effort - it would be worth your efforts to know what truly is needed by the people around you in the area of your interests.

If what you love to do, meets (+) what people need = It's your Mission. Something that you may consider to do as a service to society. 

3. What can you be paid for?

This is rather simple to identify. Will you be paid for doing what you love? 

While the marketing mantra says -  “if there is a product or service in the market - there will be someone willing to pay for it”, which theoretically speaking is true. However, what needs to be analyzed is how big the opportunity is. Not just whether you will be paid for it. But how much ? 

Most people choose a career on the basis of what is needed / demanded in the world and what pays well. It's called Vocation which could be far from your passion or what you love to do. Here your inside and outside world needs to be on the same page.

4. What are you good at ?

Most of us love singing - and maybe the world needs good singers and there are music companies who would pay for a good singer. But are you a great performer? Or is it something that you just like to do - but not necessarily highly skilled at.

In the fourth and final step one must actually start performing the activity in the real world to get a reality check. Either get a job, launch a startup with minimal investment, partner with someone already in the business for a short term. Here you will see clearly what you are actually good at. What skills you have that can be employed for meaningful work and what skills you need to hone.

If what we love and what we are good at meets - it’s our passion. And for what we are good at and can be paid for - it's a profession.

From the above what we understand is that if an activity meets any one or 2 conditions only - it could either be your passion, a profession or a mission or may be just a vocation. For everyday work to become a holistic purpose of life - it must be at the intersection of all the 4 areas. A work profile that meets all the 4 conditions.

It is a difficult combination indeed to attain but not completely out of your reach. You already know what activities or work would best fit in each of the circles. All you need to do is bring together different circle activities, pin down 1 or 2 activities that are common across all the circles. 

The day you are able to pin down on that one activity - You have found YOUR IKIGAI. 

All that's left after that is to keep practicing your IKIGAI for everlasting happiness and satisfaction. For a life that is filled with up-ticks and no-regrets. 

A highest form of life that is truly worth living !!