🌻 Finding your Ikigai for a happier, more fulfilled life.
Map out your (un)happiness with this Japanese formula and achieve true healing.
‘What should I do with my life?’ This question is so simple yet so mind-boggling for most of us. Even when we’re set with a full-time job, we still continuously find better ways to be happy—downloading meditation apps, going on retreat trips, and more.
The Japanese have solved this mystery of happiness hundreds of years ago with the concept of Ikigai, which directly translates to ‘reason of being’. Once we shift our meaning of purpose, only then will we experience contentment in our daily life.
Locating your purpose
The practice of Ikigai has evolved throughout the years, but the fundamentals remain the same. Ken Mogi, a neuroscientist and author of Awakening Your Ikigai, believes that your true Ikigai can be found by following these 5 pillars:
Starting small
Accepting yourself
Connecting with the world around you
Seeking out small joys
Being in the here and now.
The point of Ikigai is to understand that after all, happiness is not some unattainable goal you will never achieve, but rather a state of mind that is within our reach every day. According to the concept of Ikigai, your reason for being has to contain these 4 components for you to feel truly fulfilled:
Something that causes you to be present / at a flow state -> gets you to stop thinking and enjoy the present moment.
Something that the world needs -> creates a visible positive affect on those around you (first, then the rest of the world later).
Something that pays you well -> helps you worry less about surviving and live with manageable stress.
Something you’re good at -> allows you to put in the time and effort to overcome obstacles and improve the skill, hence creating fulfillment.
Where are you in the Ikigai map? Do you have what is called a passion, mission, profession, or vocation? Either way, you are only one step away from your Ikigai. You just need to follow the instruction in red to get there!
Watch the full 6-minute brief explanation on Ikigai in the YouTube video here.
Navigating your way
Though everyone will have a different area to work on when it comes to achieving their Ikigai, one thing for sure is you do not need to make a drastic change in your life to do it—like quitting your job or switching careers.
Instead, it is possible to craft your current role by incorporating smaller changes to how it is currently performed and experience a bigger sense of joy in what you do. The first step to do job crafting is to understand how exactly you spend your time at work.
Use the Job Crafting Worksheet to take notes of the following points:
Date and time
Task description
How do I feel when I perform this task?
Number of hours spent on the task
Who am I connecting with through this task?
By writing down these points visually, you will be able to determine further changes you could make to feel happier, more motivated, and interested in doing each task at work.
Download the worksheet for free and find other templates to help you toward your Ikigai here.
Addressing the challenges
Even after being equipped with the needed tools and understanding of Ikigai, sometimes we still need further assistance and reassurance that we are on the right track.
If you’re one of us who feels that life moves at such a fast pace that it seems to pass us before we can really enjoy it, take a step back and rely on Ikigai to steer you into the right life and career decisions.
Join our upcoming Instagram Live, Mekari Talks, where we will discuss ways to “Reinvent Yourself by Finding Your Ikigai” with Flavia Sungkit, psychologist and Founder of Ikigai Consulting this Thursday, 2nd June 2022 at 17:00 WIB.
Have you found your life purpose, yet? Has this week’s Monday Mavens edition helped you in getting closer to finding it? 👀
Start practicing your way toward your Ikigai by creating a visible positive affect on those around you through sharing this Monday Mavens edition with them! 🙌
In the meantime, we’ll get back to writing so we can pump out another insightful edition for you next Monday.
See you then!