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#66: Finding Your Ikigai

Updated: May 20



There are many beautiful cultural idiosyncrasies that stem from Japan, one of which is the concept of Ikigai. Pronounced (ee-kee-guy), the meaning has been lost in translation and westernised to such an extent that Japanese locals would not recognise the word from its current Western description. 


Now scholars such as Nick Kemp and Ken Mogi are taking the word back to its roots. Ikigai does not represent what you can be paid for, what you are good at or what the world needs, unlike the incorrectly represented Ikigai Venn diagram that has lazily propagated across google. Source


It often doesn’t involve work at all. In a survey of 2000 Japanese men and women, less than a third mentioned that it was work related. Source




At its heart, living with ikigai encompasses the art of living with meaning. The art of starting small and honing a craft, of helping people in some way, of finding joy in the little things and being in the here and now. 


It might involve going after a big audacious goal with passion and it might involve walking through the park on your lunchbreak. More than anything ikigai is a practice – a habit, that brings more daily joy into your and other people’s lives. 


It is less about living a worthwhile life as judged by others and instead as renowned ikigai expert Mieko Kamiya states, the “happiness to be alive”. Source

 

 

WISDOM 💎

 

“Many Japanese people never really retire—they keep doing what they love for as long as their health allows.”


Kyle Kowalski


 

Tip 1 - A SMART PLAY ✅

 

Unsurprisingly, living into your ikigai is helpful for both physical and mental health. It is likely one of the factors contributing to the exceptional longevity found in Japan. A sense of meaning, of purpose, of joy, of value are all huge positives in our life regardless.


 

Tip 2 - AVOID 🚩

 

Stressing about finding yours – your ikigai will likely change over time and can be multiple things. It doesn’t have to be anything grandiose. Start small and be curious.


 

Tip 3 - ACTION 💪


The Ikigai-9 scale is an empirically validated measure that helps to define one’s ikigai level.


To help find your ikigai you can ponder the 9 scale items. (Taken from Nick Kemp at ‘Ikigai Tribe’)


  • Have an impact on someone.

  • Make your life mentally rich and fulfilled.

  • Be interested in many things.

  • Contribute to someone or to society.

  • Develop yourself.

  • Do activities that tend to make you happy.

  • Be needed by something or someone.

  • Learn something new or start something.

  • Create room in your mind.


Have fun finding your ikigai : )



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