The concept of Ikigai, originating in Japan, has gained popularity worldwide as a profound philosophy for living a purposeful and fulfilling life. The term “Ikigai” combines the Japanese words “iki” (life) and “kai” of “gai” (worth), representing the essence of finding joy, fulfillment, and a sense of purpose in one’s daily existence. As you can imagine, identifying your ikigai can be a worthy pursuit.

Happiness = Doing What You Love

There is value in identifying your ikigai, leading to lasting contentment.

We live in a world consumed by the pursuit of happiness. Some of us may try to find it through acquiring material possessions, taking in too much social media, consuming excessive food and drink, or working at a job just to ensure a large bank account. These things may in the moment be immediately gratifying, but may not lead to lasting contentment. Sometimes certain activities leave us feeling drained or unsatisfied.

It’s no secret that we are happier doing what we love. When our work is our gift and our passion, when what we do aligns with our values and contributes to society, we feel purpose—we feel alive with ikigai.

Finding the Overlap

Ikigai has long existed in Japanese culture, but became popularized by Japanese psychiatrist and academic Meiko Kamiya in her 1966 book, On the Meaning of Life. It has gained Western popularity, most recently through studies of lifespan and longevity in regions around the world. 

At its core, identifying your ikigai encompasses the idea of finding the overlap—discovering the intersection of what you love, what you are good at, what the world needs, and what you can be paid for, leading to a state of contentment and harmony. It is a process that encourages introspection, leading to a deeper sense of self-awareness—an essential element of personal growth.

We will explore the steps to uncover your Ikigai and embark on a path to finding your true calling, but before we begin, I suggest getting a journal or notebook that can be dedicated to notes, thoughts and considerations while finding your ikigai. Allow yourself some quiet time, perhaps make a cup of tea, and discover what unique gifts you can honor and share with the world.

The Four Elements

So how does one find their ikigai? We start by asking ourselves meaningful questions and taking the time to consider, reflect, and uncover the meeting of the four elements that comprise ikigai: Doing what you love, what you’re good at, what the world needs, and what you can be paid for. 

Take a few minutes to read and consider each section. Get your journal and set aside some time to explore each element— may I suggest the same time each day, making it an activity that you look forward to. You can incorporate these exercises into your morning pages self-care routine, or after some mindfulness practice, when you are experiencing enhanced clarity, creativity, and focus.

Let’s Get Started Identifying Your Ikigai!

Step 1: Reflect on Your Passions and Interests

To begin discovering your ikigai, it is essential to pause and reflect on your passions, interests, and the activities that bring you joy and fulfillment. Example questions you can ask yourself:

  • What activities make you lose track of time?
  • If money were no object, how would you spend your days?
  • What were you passionate about a child that you have since forgotten or neglected?

Step 2: Assess Your Strengths and Abilities

Understanding your unique strengths and abilities is crucial in aligning your passions with your potential paths in life.

Step 3: Evaluate Your Values

Values serve as guiding principles that shape your beliefs, decisions, and actions. Understanding your core values is essential in aligning your purpose with your inner truth.

Step 4: Determine the Financial Viability of Skillset 

Exploring diverse career paths and opportunities is instrumental in uncovering your Ikigai and finding a vocational path that aligns with your passions, strengths, and values.

Step 5: Define Your Ikigai

Having reflected on your passions, strengths, values, and potential career paths, it is time to define your Ikigai – the unique convergence of these elements that gives your life purpose and meaning.

Your Comfort & Joy Zones

At Create Joy Travel, we utilize a self-assessment guide to help you review, assess, dream, plan and achieve your personal goals. The self-assessment tool reveals areas of joy that spark possibilities for future endeavors and growth, encouraging you to start with achievable steps that will lead to larger goals.

Most of us feel change is not easy, but in fact we are ever-changing. With each experience in life we grow, learn, and reshape ourselves. With every learning opportunity we transform ourselves in some way. Keeping an open mind to possibilities allows us to dream goals for ourselves we may have thought not possible even a year ago. For example, if you want to become a valued expert in your field, but you have a fear of public speaking, you might consider smaller steps such as speaking to small groups of 3-6 people first with whom you can share your wisdom and gain experience. In three months, you may feel comfortable growing that number in your audience to a dozen or even twenty. Three months after that, you may have a room of 100 in attendance.

Your comfort zone is ever-evolving. This reframing is to be celebrated! What once caused you anxiety and possibly even fear is now something you feel fine with. Experience has caused growth; growth has caused change. 

The Ikigai philosophy doesn’t explore areas that may cause you to feel initially uncomfortable, but for many, soul searching that goes beyond the basic discovery questions are needed to determine their ikigai, and to evaluate future goals. This is the Create Joy-ikigai overlap. 

JOY ZONE: Activities, habits, actions, and skills that bring you a sense of joy, comfort, and ease. These are the things you can do without feeling stressed or pressured.  OPPORTUNITIES FOR GROWTH ZONE: Activities, habits, and actions that aren't entirely new to you but still require effort to improve. The activities, habits, and actions challenge you, they could require new skills or enhance existing ones. They may be challenging tasks that you would like to see become enjoyable activities, thereby expanding your Joy Zone.  YIELD ZONE: Activities that may trigger discomfort, anxiety, or slight fear. This could be public speaking for someone who is extremely introverted or skydiving for someone with a fear of heights. These activities could transition into your Opportunities for Growth and even into your Joy Zone with time and effort.

The Create Joy approach to understanding your comfort zone is fundamentally about discovering your joy, recognizing opportunities, and finding areas for growth, empowerment, and improvement. By identifying the activities and experiences that bring you joy, the opportunities in which you can learn from and improve your mindset, habits and behavior, as well as the areas that challenge you, you are taking a holistic approach to self-awareness and self-discovery. 

The Long-term Wellness Benefits

The benefits of finding and living your ikigai are many. Research has shown that having a sense of purpose and meaning in life is associated with better physical and mental health outcomes, including lower rates of depression, anxiety, and chronic illness.

When you are living your ikigai, you are more likely to have a strong sense of focus that can help you navigate challenges and setbacks with greater resilience. You are more likely to stay motivated and dedicated to your goals, leading to increased productivity and a greater sense of accomplishment.

Living your ikigai also attracts like-minded individuals who share your values and passions, leading to deeper and more meaningful relationships. Embracing a growth path and journey can create a ripple effect, where you are more likely to make a positive impact on the world around you, leading to a greater good and lasting legacy.

Your Personal Ikigai Journey

Uncovering your Ikigai is a transformative and deeply personal journey that requires self-reflection, introspection, and a commitment to live authentically. Remember that your Ikigai is unique to you and may evolve over time, necessitating ongoing self-exploration and adaptation.

In a world filled with distractions, external pressures, and societal expectations, finding and embracing your Ikigai offers a compass for navigating life with clarity, intention, and authenticity. As you embark on the journey of uncovering your true calling, be patient with yourself, allow yourself grace, embrace uncertainty, and trust the process of self-discovery.

Remember, your Ikigai is not just a destination to reach but a journey to experience and embody each day. By living in alignment with your purpose, you create a life that is filled with harmony and a sense of fulfillment that transcends the ordinary. Embrace your Ikigai, follow your inner compass, and embark on an experience that is truly yours. 

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