Abstract
Ikigai is a Japanese word for a reason to get up in the morning. In Japan it usually refers to everyday things, like a morning routine or the people you look after. It doesn't have to be a job, and for many people it isn't.
The four-circle diagram that made the word popular abroad is a Western addition. Marc Winn drew it in 2014 by putting the word ikigai in the middle of an earlier Venn diagram of purpose by Andrés Zuzunaga. As a prompt for thinking about work it's still useful: list what you love, what you're good at, what the world needs and what you can be paid for, then see where the lists overlap.
Method
- 01
List what you love
Things that absorb you, whether or not anyone pays you or notices.
- 02
List what you're good at
Skills people come to you for, and things that come easily to you.
- 03
List what the world needs
Problems you see that deserve more attention, nearby or far away.
- 04
List what you can be paid for
Work someone would pay for now, or after a bit more practice.
- 05
Find the overlaps
Tick every circle each item belongs to. Start with the items that sit in three or four.
- 06
Try one small step
Test one overlap in real life before you reorganise anything around it.
When to use it
- You're choosing a direction for work and every option feels like only part of the answer.
- Your job pays well but something's missing.
- You have a passion and want to see if it could be more than a hobby.
Common pitfalls
- Expecting the centre to be one perfect job. Most people piece it together from several parts of their life.
- Writing down what you think you should love instead of what actually holds your attention.
- Mixing up the Western diagram with the Japanese idea, which is about everyday meaning more than career planning.
- Making a big change based on the diagram alone. A few small experiments will tell you more.
Origin and references
Attributed to Japanese concept; four-circle diagram by Marc Winn (2014).
- Kamiya, M. (1966). Ikigai ni tsuite (On the meaning of life). Misuzu Shobō.
- García, H., & Miralles, F. (2016). Ikigai: The Japanese Secret to a Long and Happy Life. Penguin Books.
- Mogi, K. (2017). The Little Book of Ikigai. Quercus.
- Winn, M. (2014). What's your ikigai? The View Inside Me.