Venn-ture Towards Ikigai
AKA Purpose can't be bound by a neat diagram but it’s a bloody good starting point and looks shiny in a bullet journal
🌸 ikigai is a reason for being, your purpose - from the Japanese iki 生き meaning life and gai 甲斐 meaning worth 🌸
What do you get when you cross a Venn diagram with a joke?
A perfectly balanced punchline. Badum Tish.
Lives can change so much from the smallest of inspirations or happenings.
Every passing minute is another chance to turn it all around. This thought comforts and excites me.
There is a dash of serendipity and chance mixed in with any motivation you may have for your life’s direction. Sometimes hugely impactful things can be random and easy.
I first came across ikigai because Mark Winn changed one word on a Purpose Venn diagram in 2014, which in turn inspired Kara, a bullet journaler I followed, to draw a spread that I saw in 2018.
The image spoke to me from the very beginning. Of course ikigai itself also hugely appealed once I learned more about what it actually meant *grin*
Why do I love the Venn diagram so much?
In our society work is really important. Beyond the obvious driver that most of us have to earn the pennies. We spend a ridiculous amount of time there. We identify as our job titles often, especially as the first thing most people ask you on meeting is; “so, what do you do?”
I’d love to answer with something like “Strive to spread positivity every day” but it’s not yet the done thing here, perhaps I will start anyway hehe
I’m not saying the focus on work is right, but it is what we are currently dealing with in my corner of the world. So I am keen to think through this in more detail and find ways to harness it and take control.
Ensuring you are maximising your enjoyment, and the value of those ~9 to 10 hours a day seems like a no-brainer to me!
What was the evolution of the diagram?
When researching the diagram origins and who did what when, I came across an interesting link; ikigai.se which has a really helpful evolution timeline including lots of related images.
It reminded me that I *had* seen a proto version of it at a much earlier point in my life. We were given a copy of Good to Great by Jim Collins in one of my previous roles, when the company wanted to go through a change programme. A fab idea but I don’t remember it sticking, as typically with these things after the initial flurry of excitement and comms, no-one ever mentioned it again! Here is one of the images from the book published in 2001, does it look familiar?
I think this was one of those instances where something you have come across lodges in your brain and is subconsciously being worked on over time.
The diagram shows a compelling way to articulate what makes a business great, but these questions can apply on a personal level as much as an organisational or entrepreneurial one.
From jimcollins.com; “A Hedgehog Concept is not a goal to be the best, a strategy to be the best, an intention to be the best, a plan to be the best. It is an understanding of what you can be the best at. The distinction is absolutely crucial.
Every company would like to be the best at something, but few actually understand—with piercing insight and egoless clarity—what they actually have the potential to be the best at and, just as important, what they cannot be the best at”
Do I have this level of insight and egoless clarity about myself? To even know what career or business idea would be something I could, or could not, be the best at? The answer is no and that is why I am doing all of this, even if I didn’t intentionally start at that point in time, it lit a fire in me.
Missing from this version, is what for me really cemented a bloody awesome construct; “What the world needs”, although for many that intersects with what they are passionate about.
Why refute the Venn diagram as ikigai then?
As much as I LOVE it (it hugely resonates and is something I am still working through to understand and answer), I agree with Nick Kemp founder of Ikigai Tribe why the association can be a problem;
“The problem with interpreting ikigai as the Purpose Venn Diagram is that it creates the illusion that ikigai is a lofty and formidable goal to achieve. In many ways, it is the opposite of this: embracing the joy of little things, being in the here and now, reflecting on past happy memories, and having a frame of mind that allows one to build a happy and active life. It is not about professional success or entrepreneurship.”
Frame of mind is a key phrase for me here. I remind myself that while ikigai scholars can disagree about definitions or whether it is only one thing or many, most do talk about it as being a spectrum. It is a feeling as much as anything.
My favourite framework for thinking about it holistically is Ken Mogi’s 5 pillars of ikigai;
Starting Small – The power of taking small steps toward your goals
Releasing Yourself – Accept yourself and learn to let go
Harmony and Sustainability – Live in harmony with others and the environment
The Joy of Little Things – Find joy in everyday moments
Being in the Here and Now – Focus on the present moment
I can apply this model of thinking when I am at work or home, and it doesn’t matter if I have achieved hatarakigai/work worth doing, or not. It exemplifies for me another mental model I adored from the first moment I heard it, “Happiness is a way to travel not a destination”.
For me ikigai is both a compass and a way to travel, encouraging me to set a positive and purposeful direction but allowing me to course correct along the journey.
How does this translate into action? - Introducing my ikigai bullet journal practice
To practically apply the principles of ikigai in my life, I am developing an ikigai bullet journal practice. The aim is to reflect on and cultivate my ikigai through daily, weekly, and monthly processes. I’ve kept a bullet journal since July 2017, but have only started this thinking in earnest in my 6th journal which is January 2024 to date.
Bullet journaling is a flexible, customisable organisational system that combines elements of a planner, diary, and to-do list. Created by Ryder Carroll out of necessity to help his ADHD management, the system is designed to help us organise tasks, events, and notes in a structured yet highly personal manner.
That makes it sound boring though (unless you are a huge stationery nerd like me), and it really isn’t. It is beautiful and powerful. I love this quote from the Bullet Journal mission page;
“Write a better life® We're the creators of our life. For better or for worse, we're doing it all the time. Our thoughts create our feelings. Our feelings create our behavior. Our behavior creates our experiences. Our experiences create our thoughts. As a company, we strive to craft tools that support us in being the conscious creators of the lives we want to live, one word at a time.”
They even have a Venn diagram brand mark *grin*
I recognise that desire to be the author of my own life. I want to create more chapters that are song/movie/poem levels of awesome.
I’m going to do a separate piece on setting up a new journal from scratch soon. I’m excited to be moving to two journals a year this year. I will start to set up in June ready for a July start for H2 of 2024. I will document, photograph and film that in detail!
Here’s a sneaky peak though of the thinking I will be going through that relates to ikigai practice;
Longer term;
Values check in (do the words I chose in January still resonate) as this is a key component of personal why, and intention for the year.
Ikigai pillar mindmap; write out at least three ideas for each pillar
Hatarakigai braindump; exercises for each of the buckets - What I LOVE, what the WORLD NEEDS, what I am GOOD AT and WHAT I CAN BE PAID FOR to explore intersection and explore pathways.
Monthly; Pillars Assessment: I review my adherence to the five pillars of ikigai and set intentions for the next month. This helps me to ensure a balanced approach to my personal and professional life.
Weekly Ikigai Insights; At the end of each week, I reflect on activities and moments that brought me joy, fulfilment, and a sense of purpose. I analyse these insights to understand better what contributes to my ikigai.
Daily Practice; Gratitude Log & Mindfulness Moments: I note moments throughout the day when I felt truly present and engaged. This reinforces the pillar of being in the here and now.
I’m loving my ikigai ad-Venn-ture, sorry I’ll stop now!
The Venn diagram definitely serves as a helpful guide for thinking through career or entrepreneurial possibility.
It can be a part of ikigai, but it’s not all it is. Although given how much time we spend at work it would be awesome for it to also be our ikigai.
The journey towards ikigai is deeply personal and ever-evolving. It requires patience, self-compassion, and a willingness to explore our strengths and limitations. As I continue to refine my understanding of ikigai, I am excited to share this process with others, hoping to inspire more paths to peace and purpose.
Sarah, seeking ikigai xxx
PS - I’m feeling in a mellow kinda mood;
PPS - I’m collecting funny Venn diagrams, this one made me smile and is something to keep in mind to try and avoid hehe ;