However, the concept of ikigai is not about finding the intersection of what you love, what you’re good at, what the world needs, and what you can get paid for. It’s just about finding pleasure in life and being happy to get up in the morning.
“Japanese people don’t view ikigai as a lofty goal, a destination, or something to achieve,” explains Nicholas Kemp, author of the book Ikigai-Kan. Similarly, in The Little Book of Ikigai, Ken Mogi wrote: “Japanese do not need grandiose motivational frameworks to keep going, but rely more on the little rituals in their daily routines.”
Your ikigai can be found in small daily rituals, side projects, and deep conversations. It can be found in moments of silence and idleness, or in moments of creative flow. To find your ikigai, forget about the westernized version and instead follow these principles:
- Stop seeking your One True Passion. Many of us think that finding our passion will magically give our life a purpose. Instead, find meaning in your daily experiences and interactions. Explore the world around and inside you. Learn something new everyday, including about yourself. Play with uncertainty instead of chasing the next milestone.
- Embrace lifelong learning. The concept of ikigai never mentions being good at what you do. There is joy in being a beginner all over again, learning through mistakes, and growing outside of your comfort zone. Don’t try to be the expert in the room. Keep asking questions. Never stop learning.
- Let go of lofty financial goals. Ikigai also doesn’t have anything to do with money. Of course, we all need enough money to live a comfortable life, and money can help explore projects and ideas that bring you pleasure in life, but beyond the point of comfort, financial success should be seen as a potential byproduct of living a meaningful life.
- Don’t try to save the world. Instead, focus on the positive impact you can have on your friends, family, colleagues, and community. Ask yourself how you can connect with people in meaningful ways and which changes you want to bring to life. This is how we save the world — when everyone contributes at their own human scale.
As psychiatrist Mieko Kamiya puts it, ikigai is closer in Japanese to the “power necessary to live in this world” or the “happiness to be alive”, which unfortunately is often translated to “a life worth living” in English, when the original concept doesn’t ascribe measurable value to our lives.
Instead of pursuing a grand life purpose, optimize for wanting to wake up in the morning. Live a life of curiosity and connection. Trust that success will be a byproduct of the meaning you find in daily experiences.