Find Your Ikigai

Did you know there’s a simple formula to gaining clarity when you’re feeling stuck? It’s called ‘ikigai’.

With origins rooted in ancient Japanese philosophy, ikigai (pronounced ee-kee-guy) can loosely be translated into ‘the reason for being’ — ‘iki’ means life, while ‘kai’ means value or worth. To put it simply, your Ikigai is your life purpose. It’s what brings you joy and motivates you to get out of bed every morning.

According to Japanese culture, we all have the ability to find our ikigai. And although doing this can be difficult, it’s not impossible. What’s also interesting, is that one’s ikigai can change over time. Many individuals can start out with a strong sense of purpose in their lives, but then slowly lose their connection to it over time.

But why is this important? Our long term experience with the Covid pandemic has continued to throw many of us off course, distracting us from our goals and prompting us to lose perspective. Just think about how it has shaped your thoughts around local and offshore investing. Unprecedented events such as the war in Ukraine and escalating food and petrol prices, mixed in with recent local crises, illustrate just how important it is to have clarity and direction in order to keep moving forward despite external distractions.

As a wealth manager, I’m big on planning. But I also know that when people have a sense of direction and a better relationship with themselves and the world around them, they tend to have a healthier and happier relationship with their money.

Ikigai in your career

Out in the west, the concept of ikigai has long been adapted by HR professionals and life coaches to guide others on the path to discovering their dream job.

While our profession shouldn’t engulf our entire identity, the truth is, that feeling directionless or unfulfilled with our work can affect other areas of our lives. It particularly has a considerable effect on our emotional and creative fulfilment. Not to mention our finances and relationships with others.

According to the modern method of ikigai, a person’s ideal career should hit the sweet spot between doing what you are good at or passionate about, what the world needs and will pay for. The diagram below illustrates how these four overlapping qualities align:

For me personally, my role as a private wealth manager forms the centre of my ikigai. I’ve worked hard to establish a reputation for being a highly competent and professional investment specialist over the years. And it’s something that informs how I offer guidance to those I serve.

By perfecting my ability to truly understand the offshore investment and financial needs of others, I’ve built up a community of loyal clients who continue to trust my expertise, teach me new things, and challenge me with unique situations. Finding new ways to invest and grow their wealth forms part of my own ikigai and drives me to get out of bed every morning.

Of course, not everyone feels this way about their job or other aspects of their life – and that’s okay. It just means you might need to put a little more thought and energy into honing your ikigai.

Finding your Ikigai

Finding your ikigai (be it a passion, a dream, or a mission) is not easy and requires some serious introspection and brutal honesty. However, if you are committed to making a change in your life, I assure you that you will get there if you’re willing to put in the work.

If you’re curious about the concept, a quick search online will provide a range of methods to help get you started. I’ve found that the most direct way is by asking yourself the following four questions:

• What do I love? (passion)
• What am I good at? (vocation)
• What can I be paid for? (profession)
• What does the world need? (mission)

What also helps is practising the art of visualising. Picture your ideal life now and how you would like to be living ten, twenty, or fifty years from now. In fact, try imagining your ideal day from start to finish. Once you know what you want or need to do and why, you can plot the how, when, and where.

Ken Mogi, Japanese neuroscientist and author of Awakening Your Ikigai, advises us to focus on the following five pillars, which he also encourages us to incorporate into the first few hours of our day after waking up:

1. Starting small
   2. Accepting yourself
   3. Connecting with the world around you
   4. Seeking out small joys
   5. Being in the here and now

It may also be worth seeking out expert help. A career coach, mentor, or advisor can provide invaluable advice and objective guidance to unslumping yourself.

The bottom line…

It’s natural to feel a sense of disappointment or fear as you go through the process of finding your purpose or ikigai.

Just remember, though, that it’s not about striving for perfection, but rather gaining a better sense of satisfaction, certainty, and purpose, not just within your career but when it comes to investing offshore, your finances, personal relationships, and overarching life goals.

As Howard Thurman, American author, and philosopher, best puts it: “Don’t ask what the world needs. Ask what makes you come alive and go do it. Because what the world needs are more people who have come alive.”

I’m Giles Maynard. I provide individual investment and wealth management services for private clients and companies. I have been trusted by clients, large and small to manage, protect, and preserve their wealth. How can I help you with yours?