Feel like your life is just spinning in place? Maybe the Japanese philosophy Ikigai can help you find a bit of direction

Do you often feel this way too? Your life isn’t bad, your job is fine, and your days are even fairly stable, yet every so often you can’t help asking yourself, “So what? What next?” It feels like we keep moving forward without being able to say exactly what we’re chasing. I recently came across a book and was introduced to the philosophy of Ikigai for the first time, which happened to speak to this vague sense of unease.

What is Ikigai?

Ikigai (生き甲斐) comes from Japan and literally means “a reason for living” or “what makes life worth living.” Honestly, not everyone has a clear ambition or big dream, which is exactly why it’s easy to feel lost. Ikigai isn’t about success; it’s more like a very honest question: What makes you willing to get out of bed every morning?

The answer doesn’t have to be grand. It may be something small and everyday: getting so absorbed in something that you lose track of time, or the subtle sense of satisfaction you feel after finishing a small task. It doesn’t have to be dramatic to be real. Ikigai doesn’t ask how successful you are; it asks whether your life right now feels connected to who you are, so you can feel grounded within yourself.

INS @overkovskaya

The Four Elements of Ikigai & Their Overlap

If you’re feeling stuck in a period of transition, Ikigai can be a good place to start. Broken down, it can be understood as the intersection of four areas:

● Things you love (What you love)

Things you’re willing to pursue on your own and that make you happy when you do them.
For example: taking outfit photos, dancing, documenting your travels, writing, researching coffee shops, visiting exhibitions, cooking, or learning new skills.

● Things you’re good at (What you are good at)

Things that come naturally to you, that you can do well, and that are easier for you to pick up than for most people.
For example: aesthetic sensibility, design, makeup, video editing, organizing, listening, identifying key points, writing, communication, and coordinating tasks.

● Things the world needs (What the world needs)

Things that are valuable or needed by others.
For example: helping others find their personal style, offering travel inspiration, sharing self-care content, or sharing information and perspectives.

● Things you can get paid for (What you can be paid for)

Things that can become a source of income and support you in doing them over the long term.
For example: content creation, translation, writing, planning, social media management, teaching a skill, or counseling.

Once you’ve filled in the four elements of Ikigai, you’ll find that their overlaps create several common life states. They also explain why so many people feel that something is missing:

◆ What the world needs × What you love → Mission

You’re doing something you love that can also help others, but it can’t yet provide a stable income. For example, running an account that shares a sense of aesthetics, or writing articles and making videos that influence others. Each time you complete something, you feel satisfied and accomplished, yet it may not be enough to support you over the long term.

◆What you can get paid for × What the world needs → Vocation

Almost every job falls into this category. Whether you’re a lawyer, doctor, or even a convenience store clerk, your work has value and provides an income, though it may lack a sense of personal passion. This overlap can offer a stable life and let you contribute to society, yet it often can’t fulfill your inner desires. Over time, you may begin to question the meaning of life.

◆What you’re good at × What you can get paid for → Profession

A profession is usually something you’re good at, though it isn’t necessarily what the world needs or something you enjoy doing. It can earn you money and support your life, yet if it’s disconnected from passion and a sense of value, it can easily leave you feeling empty. At that point, try bringing elements you enjoy into your work; it may ease that sense of emptiness.

◆What you love × What you’re good at → Passion

Hobbies such as dancing, traveling, and yoga certainly bring happiness, though they aren’t necessarily needed by the world or something you can make money from. Sometimes you may wonder, “Is there any meaning in continuing?” Perhaps you just haven’t found a way for it to be seen yet. Rather than giving up, try finding a way to translate the things you love. For example, turn your experiences into content and your interests into value. Building a personal brand may be one way to gradually connect what you love with the world.

INS @overkovskaya

You may think reaching that central area sounds too difficult. Yet Ikigai, in a sense closer to its original meaning, isn’t about pursuing a perfect overlap of all four elements; it’s about understanding how they relate and flow into one another. Many people may only be in one or two of the circles, and none of these states are right or wrong. They’re part of the exploration. Ikigai doesn’t ask you to get there all at once. By continuing to try and adjust, you can gradually turn what you love into what you’re good at, and what you’re good at into something that’s needed, eventually finding a balance of your own.

So don’t rush to find all the answers at once. Start with small things, and slowly move closer to the self that makes you willing to get up each day and that you genuinely like. Maybe that’s your Ikigai.

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