I don’t want to wake up everyday and punch the clock.
I want to spend my career engulfed in interesting and meaningful work that fires me up.
I want to live out my ikigai.
Huh?
Everything starts with “why” (and you can read more about that here).
From there, the question quickly turns to “what” and “how”.
That’s where ikigai comes into play.
Ikigai translates to “reason for being.”
The westernized version of ikigai serves as a philosophical guide to finding your ideal career (the traditional Japanese philosophical construct is a bit different).
Ikigai tells us that you’re living out your unique purpose in life when you find the center point between:
1) What you love and are interested in
2) What you’re good at
3) What you can be paid for
4) What the world needs
Trial and error
I think I have the coolest job in the world- and I frequently make changes to make it an even better fit for me.
That didn’t happen overnight.
It takes a lot of trial, error, reflection, and purposeful iteration to find the balance point in the center.
There’s no way to find out what you love, what you’re good at, what you can be paid for, and what the world needs without getting your hands dirty and going down the wrong paths for a while.
Treat it all as a valuable learning experience.
If you don’t quit looking, you’ll find your ikigai eventually.
Best,
Zach
Dr. Zach Guiser, PT, DPT, CSCS