How to find your ikigai in 5 steps
By: Terry Andrew Dunn
Tags: Enjoyment, Skills, Purpose, Ikigai, Goals

Ikigai is Japanese for your purpose

Photo by Mayank Baranwal on Unsplash

There are many YouTube videos on this topic and much has been written too. A good one to watch is from the Arata Academy. The Japanese concept of ikigai is your purpose. It’s about finding your purpose for living.

It’s what you enjoy doing, and it’s one of the reasons why the Japanese people have a long life expectancy. There are many other reasons, of course, and one that particularly interests me is diet and nutrition.

But that’s a different topic.

Step 1: Be sure to start small

In the west, we all like to go for the big wins, the massive goals, the endless struggle that reaches this crescendo of celebrity-style success. Or at least, that’s how all the popular stories go. And these amazing people have the discipline of a Tibetan monk, the energy of a supernova, and a crystal ball to guide their every decision. Are these stories real?

Or you could start small, in just one area of your life that needs attention in order to improve and do it every day. Use the power of continuous habits that build slowly over time. It’s called the compound effect.

Step 2: Break free from old ideas that may be holding you back

Why are you studying to be a lawyer? Is that what you really want, or what your family wants? Are you doing what’s expected of you? Instead, ask yourself what’s real for you. Reflect on what you really want. If you don’t know, start small by doing activities that you enjoy and would do for free. Don’t be driven by money, fame, success, or celebrity.

There is a cult these days of finding your passion. What if you are not really passionate about anything in your life? How would you know what your passion is? I think passion is a flame that burns once you take action and do something you enjoy, building competence, even mastery.

Step 3: Seek harmony and sustainability

Your purpose is found at the intersection of making a living, doing what you love, providing what the world needs, and what you are good at. Think of it as 4 intersecting circles. You want to find the activity that’s in all 4 circles.

Is it something you’ve already made a living from, and is it sustainable? In order for you to keep doing it, you need to be paid. Sustainability is rarely discussed but is a key component. What do you love doing? Most people know. If you don’t, experiment with activities you might like or feel drawn to. What the world need is a practical question you need to answer. If nobody else is doing it, it probably isn’t needed. What skills do you have? Often people don’t think they have any skills, but I guarantee you do. You may not realise the abilities you have and simply take them for granted.

Step 4: Have joy in the little things

People often condition themselves to the fulfillment of grand projects or big goals. And they only get to savour the joy of success when they finally achieve this big goal. That’s no way to live. You need to enjoy the journey.

You are in charge of conditioning your happiness. Start small, with activities you enjoy. Find this joy every day. Relish the journey at every point. Learn to have joy in all the little things that make up your goal.

Ikigai doesn’t suggest you shouldn’t have goals, but you must enjoy all the steps from now to when you achieve this goal. If that’s not possible, choose another goal. There are many things you can be passionate about.

Step 5: Be in the here and now

I’ve talked about this topic before. Many of us spend far too much of our time in the past or the future. Life is lived in the present moment. The fashionable name for this is mindfulness. Enjoy where you are right now.

Suffering is defined as wanting more and more, not appreciating what you have. If you find it hard to appreciate what you have, start a gratitude journal. At the end of each day, find 5 things you were grateful for.

If you want to find your ikigai, or purpose, follow these 5 steps. Start with a simple daily activity that could be in the intersection of the 4 circles. Then start doing it today, and tomorrow, and build from there.