Beneath the Surface: Excavating Your True Calling
You often find yourself searching for meaning in your life.
The work you do feels meaningful at times, but something is still missing. Early in your career, it seemed right, but time has changed how it all feels. That unfulfilled hole gets deeper, and you don't know where it comes from.
I should know, I'm one of you.
You lack a reason for being, or as the Japanese call it, "Ikigai".
I stumbled upon the Ikigai Framework while researching ways to find meaning in your work. There is a process to finding your ikigai. It's a cross between four sections.
What you love
What you can do well
What the world needs
What you can be paid for
There are other elements to ikigai, such as maintaining good friendships and family relationships; however, today, we'll focus on finding work that brings meaning.
What You Love
Now might be a good time to pull out a sheet of paper.
The first step in finding your "Reason for Being" is to consider all the things you love to do in life. List them out on a sheet of paper. Nothing is off the table; it can include what you currently do for a living, something completely different, and more.
The list can be as long as you need.
At one point, I followed a process similar to the Ikigai Framework; my list consisted of filmmaking, writing, and technology. I hold a degree in filmmaking, which is one of my passions. I have always loved to write, and as for technology, I can thank my dad for that one. He loves tech and science fiction, thus influencing my love of it.
What You Can Do Well
Here is the part where we can start to reduce our list. Grab another sheet of paper, and you're going to look over your first list. Write on the new sheet everything you're good at.
If you aren't sure, ask others who can give you an honest answer. Feedback is always helpful.
In my case, all three, filmmaking, writing, and technology, stayed. I know my filmmaking skills are at an upper end based on feedback from my college professors. My writing is decent enough, and I know I can improve with practice. On technology, I've always been good with computers.
What The World Needs
This question can be looked at in different ways.
You can translate it as "What are the current market demands and needs?" or "This is what I believe the world needs". My impression is that it's meant for you to view it with the first question in mind, but as an entrepreneur, that second statement is what comes up when ideas can change the world. Look at people like Steve Jobs, who felt personal computers could be in every home, and he was right.
At this point, we may need to do some research. Ask yourself honest questions.
What is viable?
Does the world really need this?
I struggled with this part of the list myself. The need to be honest with myself and aware of my passions felt like they were conflicting. I ended up keeping all three on the list.
As you come to your conclusions, you can cross off any from your second list that you feel don't apply.
What You Can Get Paid For
Here is where it all gets broken down.
Your list might have one item left or several. It depends on what's on it and your confidence in those items.
If you have one, you might be one of the lucky ones. This could be your ikigai. If you aren't sure you can make a living off of it, then it's time to experiment and find out.
The rest of you who have multiple items have a choice to make. Consider what you can get paid to do. Think back on your research for what the world needs. Did it include anything on pay? Could it be an untouched market? Does it have demand in the job market?
My list still has my three options: filmmaking, writing, and technology. I needed to think about which was the most viable for my needs at the time. I was engaged to be married and just out of college.
That is when technology popped out at me.
Today, technology is an ever-changing landscape, and the need for people who can traverse it is ever-growing. It helped that I had just heard about an IT position looking for people with my skill set.
You're not stuck with your first choice.
What is great about this experiment is that you're not married to your first choice for the rest of your life. What might seem right at the time may not work for you later. You can follow the framework again and find another option.
That's what I did.
I enjoy my career in IT, but today I find that something is missing. An unfulfilled feeling keeps returning. If you haven't figured it out yet, I'm now writing.
You don't have to quit your job to start your ikigai.
I didn't quit my IT career to become a writer. I'm experimenting and finding where this journey takes me.
You can do the same, or swan dive into a new endeavor. How you do it is up to you.
