The word ikigaï is composed of "iki" meaning "life" and "gaï" meaning the realization of one's desires. This Japanese method of personal development is all about achieving balance and finding one's way. Who today can claim to feel "at home"? Indeed, many people no longer know why they get up in the morning, and experience a "loss of meaning". Building your ikigai will enable you to feel aligned between who you are, what you do and what you want. The method may seem simple. However, to be able to apply it, you need to have a good knowledge of yourself. This can only be acquired over time, and with a certain amount of detachment. Here are 4 questions to help you apply the method:
- What do you like to do in life?
- How can you earn money?
- What does the world need?
- What are you good at?
Answering these questions will require a great deal of introspection. As this concept originates from Japanese culture, it's important to adapt the method to your own culture. According to the Japanese, everyone has their own ikigai. It's unique to you, and just because your neighbor's ikigai is making him a fortune doesn't mean it's any better than yours. In fact, the most important thing is that your ikigai enables you to find your "raison d'être". Similarly, in Japan, we believe that our ikigai evolves with the stages of our lives, our age and our experience. So, in the course of a lifetime, we have several ikigai.
Ikigai and business?
Ikigai aims for fulfillment in all areas of life, including the professional world. It will help us to identify the type of mission that we like and that makes sense to us. Companies would do well to look into the Ikigaï method. Indeed, it can be a powerful motivator for employees. By helping employees find their ikigai, the company can make useful changes. These changes will help to keep them motivated, retain them and offer them a better quality of life at work.
