Japanese concept of “ikigai,” (ee-key-guy) we can understand it as the lifelong pursuit of finding your true purpose. It connects four overlapping themes in our lives—what you love, what you are good at, what the world needs, and what you can be paid to do.
While ikigai can help during all periods of your life, it can be especially beneficial as we age. Having a reason to get up in the morning can help aging adults find meaning and fulfillment. Fulfilling a hobby, seeing family, or doing something positive for the community can contribute to your overall sense of belonging and well-being. In research studies, ikigai has been found to lower stress levels, reduce the risk of heart disease, and even increase longevity.
Are you ready to uncover your purpose?
Finding Your Ikigai
Everyone can benefit from focusing on the things that make them happy. Here are some steps you can take to uncover your ikigai and fulfill your purpose on this Earth.
Consider how you spend your time
Spend a week with a notebook by your side. Jot down a note every time you perform a new task of any kind. Your list should include everything you do, like grocery shopping, cleaning the house, spending time with your family, and going to work. Be as specific as possible. Write “playing board games” instead of just “family night,” or “had a call with a client” instead of “went to work.”
Pick the top 10 tasks
Now that you have a full list of how you spend your time, you need to see where you devote the most energy. Pick the 10 tasks that you do the most throughout the week. Create a new list of these tasks.
Ask yourself important questions
With these 10 tasks lined out, ask yourself a few questions to determine if they add purpose to your life.
● Do I love doing this?
● Does the world need this?
● Am I good at doing this?
● Can I get paid for doing this? (Or, am I financially supported in other ways that would allow me to pursue this?)
Hopefully, you will discover at least one task that represents your ikigai. However, you could realize that you don’t have any tasks on your list that affirmatively answer all four questions. Not to worry. Just because you don’t have ikigai now doesn’t mean you never will. Dig deeper to uncover what makes you happy and then see how you can fit it into your life to answer “yes” to all four questions.
Putting Your Ikigai into Action
Once you have uncovered your ikigai, put it into practice! That’s the most critical step, the one that makes the process of discovering your ikigai worth it.
The main point of ikigai is to help you feel fulfilled. It should not be stressful. If you start to feel overwhelmed, take a deep breath and embrace the journey.
If you are looking for ways to improve your health, harmony & happiness, we’re here to help. Contact us today to start living better and more purposefully.
Ta ta & hooray for now.