The Ikigai framework is a brilliant tool for finding purpose amidst the chaos of modern life. Discover how to zone in on your passions.

Searching for a more grounding experience

Things are moving fast, changing, and adapting constantly, and the current world leaves many of us tired, exhausted, and a bit lost. You might question why you do what you do, if there's something else out there, or wonder if you make the most of your strength and passion. Finding your purpose can help you ground yourself and give back some control over what you enjoy and likely want to focus on more, be this in a personal or professional context.

Why finding purpose matters

Purpose isn't about a fleeting thought but a long-term state you work on constantly. It's an essential part of feeling happy and brings many advantages:

• You experience higher motivation and, therefore, higher engagement, which translates to higher well-being and better mental and physical health.
• You can use your purpose as a decision-making tool.
• It can help you with resilience as your purpose can guide you through ups and downs.
• It's bigger than you: it enhances your personal growth and allows you to show up in a way that aligns more with your inner self.

Ikigai: a framework to find out what's essential in your life

If you're still traumatised from Venn diagrams at school, this is the time to get over it and make it your own. Ikigai is a Japanese concept that translates as "reason for being." You'll identify intersections to discover what is important to you in order to live a fulfilling life. I love this framework because it looks at your life holistically; it's not just about your purpose in a job or a specific area in life. It encompasses everything:

• What you love: think about all the activities that make you lose time.
• What the world needs: how can you contribute to society to make a difference? What issues or causes do you feel motivated about?
• What you can be paid for: think of opportunities you can monetise, jobs or projects you have enjoyed.
• What you are good at are your talents, core strengths and skills.

How to find your ikigai

1. Set time aside for self-reflection. You want to dive deep.
2. Optional: Talk to others and get feedback on how they see you.
3. The Venn diagram: work from the outside to the inside.
   1. Write down thoughts about the outer areas (e.g.' what you love, 'what you're good at').
   2. Move to the intersections. You can find your passion by seeing what's between what you love and are good at (e.g. love friends, good at hosting diners = passion for hosting dinners for friends). Or find your profession by merging 'what you're good at' and 'what you can be paid for'.
   3. Take it a step further and see what overlaps between the new intersections. E.g. between passion and profession.
   4. Last: what is the intersection of the intersection of the intersection (we've gone inception now)? This is the sweet spot and centre of your purpose. You've done well coming that far. It's time to pause for a treat.

Ongoing practice

Ikigai is not a one-off. It will grow and evolve with you. So, check in occasionally, re-do the framework, and see if your purpose has shifted. It's also great to further investigate why a purpose has shifted and how it has changed other things in your life. You have already started the self-awareness train; you should stay on for more stops.

Make sure to seek out moments and activities that fit your Ikigai. The more you can make it take up more space in your life, the more purpose-aligned you will feel.

In reality, not all of us have one clear purpose

There are people in this world who seem to have a clear idea of a purpose as if it’s embedded in their DNA. And then there are people like me. I’m unsure if I will ever have that one clear purpose in life, but it’s ok. You might also have too many passion points and topics floating around in your head, your interest is manifold, and things are shifting too much. Try to go as close to an Ikigai as possible and check in again a few months later. Sometimes, I have 2-3 purpose themes in the Ikigai centre that I work with. So far, it’s always been a good use of time, as it increases your self-awareness levels.

Enjoy finding your purpose, and let me know if it helped you gain clarity and motivation.

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Want to explore personal branding in more depth and incorporate Ikigai into it? Check out my webinar on evaluating personal branding, which I gave for YunoJuno.

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You can read new posts on my website, find me on Medium and Substack (I meet you where you already are), and connect with me on LinkedIn.