Ikigai has a very special meaning and the people of Japan believe that everyone has it; “a reason to jump out of bed each morning.” As the aim of my coaching is to help people create a career they enjoy, then it made sense that a book about Ikigai* was included in the reading list. Would reading this make me and my services defunct? Let’s read on and find out!
I’ll get straight to the point. Whilst the book is an interesting read, I don’t actually think it lives up to its promises from the blurb. On the beautifully bound back cover, you see a wonderful Venn diagram showing the four areas that you need to have in place to create a state of Ikigai:
- What you love.
- What the world needs.
- What you can be paid for.
- What you are good at.
All these four elements overlap with your passion, your mission, your vocation and your profession. It’s something that I do strongly promote with my clients; you can watch me talk about it here.
When you have all of these aligned, then you can jump out of bed every morning. Great; however, the book itself doesn’t actually go into detail with any of this. Which is disappointing!
What it does do, it opens up a conversation about what other elements lead to a longer life. The majority of the book centres on people who live a long life; people who live in “Blue Zones”, where life expectantly is much longer than the average! What we seem to uncover from Hector Garcia and Frances Miralles’ assessment and investigation is that there are multiple ways that people have a long and happy life. Ironically NOT taking your work too seriously seems the be the biggest trick to this!
Whilst there are several blue zones across the world, this book focuses on Okinawa, a rural island that is part of Japan. What we learn from this rest of the book is the importance of community, movement, focus, nutrition and stress management. What we see is that none of this can simply be paid for from our earnings, it has to be created through our actions.
So, in true Clara Cliff Notes style, what can you learn from this book?
- Focus
When work was mentioned, it was highlighted the impact and power of becoming a specialist. To super-niche down on your skills. To go deep when it comes to honing your craft. They demonstrated the pleasure this brings, to be known as a specialist, and how growth and expansion was not seen as a measure of success.
- Move
There is such a link between physical and mental well being; it just can’t be denied any longer. However, the people that were part of the Blue Zones weren’t hitting the gym or throwing heavy weights around. It was purposeful movement; gardening, tai chi and qigong were all shown as a common activity amongst the groups. This not only has physical benefits but gave people moments of important mindfulness and meditation!
3. Eat
Due to the nature of Okinawa being an island, there is an environmental restriction to the types of foods that were eaten; many were locally grown and seasonal. There was limited meat and lots of fresh produce! What was really interesting was the 80% rule; that they only ate until they were nearly full. No belly busting meals and needed a nap after lunch!
- Community
This is probably the most important thing and tied all the other elements together. Being part of a community, that had a common purpose and support, was a common theme. This philosophy and outlook really set these people apart. They would meet regularly and provide financial assistance should the need arise!
So, in short – does this book help you with your ikigai? Eventually! But first it helps you understand that to find work that fits in with all other areas of your life you need to understand that work and life aren’t two separate things! By working through your four “Whats ..” then paying attention to the how, you can create a life that will have meaning and joy.
What do you think? Have you read the book? Check out the previous reviews here.
Come over to the Facebook group, Creating Careers to Enjoy, to start creating work that works for you!
*This link is an affiliate link. If you click on it and buy, I may get some extra pennies, but it won’t cost you anything extra.
Clara Wilcox is a straight talking, practical and experienced coach helping clients navigate the tricky waters of returning to work, career changes and professional development. The Balance Collective is a social enterprise focused on improving the lives of parents, by working together to build inner confidence and promote a healthy work/life balance.
