Finding Your Useful Purpose

​There is a concept that the Japanese call Ikigai which literally translated means the realisation of what one hopes and expects from life.  I prefer to think of it as finding your Useful Purpose as it has the potential to help us to identify a way of using our talents that will bring real and long lasting meaning to our lives. 
 
As a starting point, take some time to think about what you are good at.  You do not need to be thinking about this in terms of any existing roles or jobs you may have had or know about, but instead try to consider all of the special skills, talents and abilities that you have that might set you apart from others.   It might be helpful to reflect on any positive comments from other people as it is often difficult to make a reasonable assessment of our own abilities.
 
As we are looking for something that we will devote a lot of our time to, it is important that we can gain some income from this.   The next area to reflect upon is what you do that you can be paid for.  Again, try not to limit this to any particular role but think about the different ways you might be paid for using your particular combination of skills and experience.  It might also be helpful to reflect upon the various contractual relationships that currently exist and that might come into use in the future.
 
If you now put these two groups together, perhaps there is some type of activity that is common to them both.  If this is the case you may be able to identify a suitable Profession.  Consider how it would be to train for a career that over time might bring increasing status and the material possessions that come with a growing income. 
 
Now think about what the world needs.  Again try to view this in terms of skills and qualities rather than existing jobs or roles, and also reflect upon how you will choose to define the world.  You may decide to think in global terms of the planet and its many peoples as a whole, or you might prefer a more localised definition around your particular community.  Whatever definition you choose, try to think objectively of what that particular world needs the most.
 
Compare this with your earlier thoughts on what you can be paid for.  If you can identify an overlap between these groups, you may be able to identify your Vocation.  You could work towards gaining the respect of the community from your personal commitment to making a contribution that is valued by others. 
 
Now take some time to think about what you love.  Think about what is most important to you, what gives you the most pleasure, and what makes you happy.  Set these against what you are good at and see if there is any common ground.  This may help you to identify your Passion.  Pursuing this could bring you a real and long lasting sense of fulfilment. 
 
Look again at what you love and what the world needs.  If you can find a way of combining both of these, you may be able to identify your Mission. In this way you could have a sense of purpose that is based upon a firm belief that you are making a difference.
 
Each of these could be the culmination of a lifelong journey.  However if you were to achieve any one of these, would it bring complete satisfaction, or would you be left with feelings or desires that were unfulfilled? 
 
What if you were able to identify some way of bringing all of these together?  What you love, what you're good at, what the world needs and what you can be paid for? Then you would be combining a Profession with Vocation, Passion and Mission.  If you could achieve all of this, then some would say that you would have found your Ikigai.  I would say that you will have truly found your Useful Purpose.
 
Finding our Useful Purpose requires a deep and often lengthy search of self, and it may take many years to accomplish. This is not something that many people can achieve by themselves and a skilled coach can be an invaluable companion on this journey.
 
Identifying and then achieving any one of these is a challenge, and that may be enough.  But imagine what your life would be like if you were able to bring all of this together, and imagine the impact that you might have on the lives of others?
 
© 2017 Michael Golding