Ikigai

Ikigai

Have you heard of the Okinawan word "ikigai"? It roughly translates into having a reason to live, or believing that your life is worth living...

In his book The Blue Zones, and his TED Talk, Dan Buettner shares that people who know why they are getting out of bed every morning live up to 7 years longer than those who don't! And research from Rush University Medical Centre found better cognitive function in people who felt they had a purpose in life!

Do you know what your "why" is?? Your purpose? What gets you up and out of bed in the morning?

This is definitely a question worth pondering! And naturally, coaches and others in the self-help field have jumped on board. So a more "western" explanation of Ikigai has evolved, where it is said to reside at the intersection of:
1. What you love;
2. What you are good at;
3. What the world needs; and
4. What you can be paid for.

A framework for Ikigai

But whether you choose a more amorphous idea of your life's purpose, or the more focussed western framework for Ikigai, it is definitely worthwhile taking some time to step back and reflect on whether your work and your life is in line with your purpose!

Check out Dan Buettner's fascinating TED Talk here. His discussion of Ikigai starts just after the 10 minute mark.