Is a quest to find purpose driving the big reset? In our recent Candidate Motivators Report, 38% of respondents indicated that a lack of purpose in their current jobs motivated them to change roles with a new employer. Here’s how to find it…

What gets you up in the morning? And how does that link to your job? Many of us ponder our purpose at one time or another. But it’s a deceptively tricky question to answer; finding the “why” in our work can be especially challenging. 

However, using the Japanese concept of Ikigai can help you figure it all out.

Ikigai translates directly as “life value” and is all about finding joy in life through purpose. It’s the intersection of your talent, passion and benefit to others.

How to use Ikigai to find your purpose

It is said that everyone has an Ikigai. To find yours, you’ve got to answer these 4 questions:

• What do I love doing?
• What am I good at?
• What does the world need?
• What can I get paid for?

Now, you might discover the kind of workplace that can move you closer to realising your Ikigai. For example, a workplace that offers a promising skills development program or which offers involvement in community-based projects.

This widely used Venn diagram is a valuable framework to help you start thinking about your Ikigai.

Aim for the intersections

Your Ikigai is where your passion, mission, profession and vocation meet. After all, feeling fulfilled with a sense of purpose isn’t just about making money. If you’re good at your job, you’ll find it more satisfying. Or if you use something you do for fun or as a hobby to contribute to society in some way, e.g. knitting and donating scarves, you will find it even more fulfilling.

Find a balance 

Balance is key to finding your Ikigai and leading a fulfilled life. If you only focus on one or two of the circles in the diagram, your life may feel unbalanced. On the other hand, if you focus on too many things in each circle, your life will be frenetic, which will also lead to an imbalance. 

Accept you don’t need to have all the answers

You might not have all the answers right away, and that’s OK. Some people might spend their life trying to find Ikigai because it requires trying new things. That’s why a good start to discovering your Ikigai is to take action. Internalising won’t bring you any closer to the answers. Failing to pursue your hobbies or what you love, putting minimum effort into how you earn a living, not developing your skills, or ignoring opportunities to help others could leave you feeling stagnant and even further away from understanding your purpose.

Take the first step

The first step to realising your Ikigai is simply to focus on what you’re curious about and to be open to the opportunities staring you down day-to-day. For example, the opportunity to help someone in need or the curiosity to learn something new. The key to figuring this out is to listen to your heart and keep an open mind. Follow their lead and indulge your curiosity. You never know where you’ll end up! 

A great example of this is when Apple founder Steve Jobs decided to attend a calligraphy class in college purely out of curiosity. Later, he applied what he learned to the font on Apple’s computers, which became a major selling point. He didn’t know what it would lead to at the time. He took the calligraphy course simply because he was curious.

How to use Ikigai at work

Is what you enjoy and are good at being cultivated at work? Be sure to lean into your strengths, stay active and exercise your brain.

By fully engaging in all the extra value-adds that your company offers its employees beyond the paycheck, you can do more of what you love, obtain the skills to be really good at what you love, and do more of what the world needs. Here’s how:

• See what learning and development opportunities you qualify for and take a short course to upskill yourself in a particular area.
• Participate in your company’s corporate social responsibility program by offering to volunteer in a community-based project they may support. If they don’t have such a program, why not suggest one? 
• Are you ready for that promotion? Put your hand up for leadership training or perhaps you are already in a leadership role and can offer your time to mentor an aspiring colleague.
• Understand your company’s values, mission and vision. An alignment in values and mission can bring about a massive sense of purpose and drive in what you do.
  

If you want to find out more about what’s important to employees in 2022, feel free to download the Talenza 2022 Candidate Motivators Report.