Can your passion, your purpose, and your profession be the same thing? Let's chat Ikigai.

For those of you who are new to the concept, Ikigai (pronounced ee-key-guy, or so says the interwebs) is a Japanese concept that means ‘A reason for being’, and the accompanying diagram presents an incredible amount of food for thought. I mean, who doesn’t love a good venn diagram?!?

Want more info? Check out THIS post on Instagram and THIS podcast episode, both about the same concept: Ikigai.

Five things that I’ve been thinking about as it relates to this diagram:

1. What you love, what you’re good at, what you can be paid for, and what the world needs are all inherently different things. Translation: Just because you love something doesn’t mean people will pay you. A harsh truth, but a truth nonetheless.
2. What you are good at has its own circle, and I LOVE that. Real talk, a HUGE ingredient when it comes to success in the online space is being the best at whatever it is that you do. Do you have personal experience with that thing? Can you deliver? Do your people trust you? Are you the best at solving a specific problem for YOUR people?
3. While it’s implied that being in the middle is the goal, I do believe that asking yourself where you currently are and where you’d actually like to be on the diagram is a better option. The center isn’t the only choice.
4. As pointed out by the ever-brilliant Carrie Owerko, one might interpret the curved lines and general presentation of the diagram to imply movement and the ever-changing nature of this dynamic system. Fascinating.
5. You can absolutely go and read books and learn more about Ikigai, but if we were to just look at the diagram, we’d see that there are no instructions presented on how to make your way to the middle should that be your goal.
6. Something I’d like to throw out there for you to think about, is what would happen if you added time to the equation? Where would that move you on the diagram? Would people value your skillset more, or simply be ready to utilize your skillset, in the future and thus be more willing to pay for it? Would you become more proficient in your craft, and begin to love it more, and discover your passion? Would being more passionate about it influence those around you and make them more likely to pay? Is time all that your actually currently missing?

Again, I’m by no means an expert in this, nor have I dug past a very superficial layer in learning about Ikigai. Sharing this with you because I found it interesting, and it’s come up so many times this week, which to me meant that it was worth talking about a bit MOAR.

I truly do believe that I’m near, if not inside of that center portion, which I see being reflected as numerous invitations to speak/present about something I love, business clients that my ideal clients, selling out a program that I LOVE teaching and having folks be as excited about it as I am, my best financial year in business to date, physical health, easy days, and a truly joyful life.

I want this for you. I want this for everyone. Where do you fall on that diagram?

Want to read more about creating your best life?

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• Check out this post on the secret to building your best life