People are motivated by purpose, which helps them realize what matters most in their lives. It is a profound and unique understanding of their goals and how their actions contribute to the achievement of a larger goal. It serves as a source of motivation and fortitude.
Purpose involves integrating one's personal objectives with a broader context, such as developing society, having a positive effect, or creating lasting connections. A person's sense of purpose is a highly unique, subjective concept that might evolve throughout their lifetime.
Stress has harmful consequences on people's lives, but those who have a purpose in life are better prepared to face stress and emergencies. Strong senses of purpose have been associated with higher levels of wellbeing and are likely to make people significantly more resilient than their aimless counterparts.
The Ikigai Framework's cornerstone is Sense of Purpose. The Ikigai Framework, created by Japanese researchers, is used as a tool for reflection and personal development. "Ikigai" is made up of the words "iki," which stands for life, and "kai," which stands for value or use. The word basically translates to "reason for being" in English, to put it another way.
Ikigai is among the primary motivators for pulling most Japanese people out of bed in the mornings. Because of their purpose in life, they are content and live long lives. Japan has one of the highest percentages of people who are over 100 years old, and personal Ikigai is a significant contributor to this longevity.
The Ikigai Framework and Japanese culture have long been studied in the West. The framework comprises the following four crucial facets of life:
- Passion
- Mission
- Vocation
- Profession
A strong grasp of the four Ikigai characteristics can help you find your life's mission. You may find your Ikigai at the point where each of the four pillars of existence intersects. Let's look more closely at some of these elements.
Passion
Your actual interests, likes, and loves are referred to be your passions. It represents a person's inner fire—the pursuits or activities that make them feel alive and engaged.
You may discover your passion by thinking about the activities or passions you naturally gravitate toward—those that make you feel strongly or make you lose track of time. Individuals’ mission, vision, and ideologies go hand in hand with passion. When your interests and efforts are in accordance with what you find important, your enthusiasm and feeling of purpose are increased.
In order to figure out what you enjoy, choose a pleasant pastime that makes you feel good and that you would do freely at any moment. Examples include baking, writing, sketching, gardening, and photography.
Mission
This part involves picking goals or initiatives that match your interests, abilities, and passions while also filling a need and improving the world.
According to the Ikigai Framework, a person's purpose is the intersection between their particular interests, passions, and activities with what the world needs, which is knowledge of the needs, issues, or difficulties that exist in local or global communities. Additionally, these pursuits have to align with your abilities and ideals. It involves identifying the areas in which we may make a positive impact, add value, or bring about a substantial change.
Vocation
The framework says that just appreciating our job and being competent at it is not enough. The vocational component highlights the importance of paying people fairly for their efforts. Thanks to the work we like performing, we should be able to put food on the table and clothes on our backs.
This element of Ikigai straddles the line between what the world needs—identifying the needs or issues globally and understanding the areas where we can make a positive impact—and what we can be paid for—identifying skills, expertise, or knowledge that have a market value and for which people are willing to pay us.
Interested in learning more about the other elements of the Ikigai Framework? You can download an editable PowerPoint presentation on Ikigai Framework here on the Flevy documents marketplace.
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