Taken in this way, ikigai can be found in simple pleasures, like your weekend hobby or morning exercise routine. Mogi uses the example of a tea pouring ceremony and the daily routine of a Sumo wrestler, both of which require the application of the pillars. Where Buddhism teaches you to shed the things you crave to find freedom and peace, ikigai is about appreciating and consciously enjoying those things once you have them. Yes, I eagerly anticipate that morning cup of coffee, but by the time it arrives I’ve usually got one eye on the clock, my mind frantically calculating the fastest route to the office while I’m throwing on my jacket. There’s truth in the adage that “life is what happens when we’re busy making plans.” I’m certainly guilty of living around the corner, “If I just get here, or do this, I’ll be happy, I’ll be content.” Many of us live our lives always planning the next thing, trapped in a constant state of busyness.

And crucially, it’s about savoring the moment when it arrives. At the same time, it’s unmistakably about looking forward – the anticipation of that cup of coffee or a weekend activity. Much like mindfulness, the key is to be present in the moment. Still, he acknowledges that anyone can adopt these tenets in their life. Tokyo-based neuroscientist and author Ken Mogi identifies the five central pillars of ikigai as:Īccording to Mogi, these pillars formed as a natural extension of the Japanese mindset and culture. The Five Pillars of Ikigaiīeyond your career, ikigai can become a framework for approaching life in general. Whether you’re a janitor, journalist or Jeff Bezos, if you find your Ikigai, you’ll find pleasure and value in what you do. The very center, where each area overlaps, is your ikigai – your reason for getting up and where you should focus your efforts to find ultimate fulfillment. This diagram shows ikigai as the convergence of four areas of life: what you love, what you’re good at, what the world needs, and what you can be paid for. So how can you find your ikigai? The Four Elements of IkigaiĪ Venn diagram of “the four elements” of ikigai has blazed a trail through office cubicles, comms channels, and HR presentations in recent years.Īlbert Liebermann and Hector Garcia popularized this way of applying ikigai with their book, “Ikigai: The Japanese Secret to a Long and Happy Life.” Many of us reluctantly accept we’ve hit “snooze” on our alarms as much as we can get away with, and drag our weary limbs out of the sheets. I think it’s fair to say that not many of us spring out of bed every morning propelled by our core reason for being.

It can give value to the everyday “mundane” things, while also helping you to identify what you truly value. Ikigai can be applied as a practical philosophy for life, a way to find strength in tough times, and as a way to identify what you want from your career. Ikigai can be translated as “to live (iki) and reason (gai)” – essentially, what is the source of your daily motivation? There’s never been a better time to consider your personal ikigai. But for many of us, it’s also a chance to pause and reflect on our lives and the world in general. And now into the mix, the COVID-19 pandemic has destabilized normal working patterns and added a large dollop of general anxiety for good measure. Motivation has increasingly become a priority for organizations looking to maintain an engaged and eager workforce. This is a question we all wrestle with at some point in our lives and there’s rarely an easy answer. Is it career progression or your kids? A Friday night out or a hot cup of coffee? What gets you out of bed in the morning?

Japanese wheel of life