Many of my friends have long felt a kind of restlessness inside them. Always aiming at "success" but wondering if they are on the right path, if this is really what they should be doing and if this is what they were made for.
I've seen friends move from one project or job to another to another to another, trying to find something that clicks. Something that feels like, "Ahh, now THIS is what I was made to do."
I wonder if you've experienced that feeling.
Is there some secret to finding the right path? To finding your purpose?
The Japanese have a beautiful concept called Ikigai.
At its core, Ikigai is about finding the sweet spot where three key elements of your life intersect:
1. What You Love To Do: These are your passions—the activities and interests that light you up, that you would do even if you weren’t paid for them.
2. What You’re Good (or GREAT) At: Your skills, natural or developed. What do people say you are great at? What's something you can do that most people can't?
3. What the World Needs (or sometimes what you can be paid for): People pay for things they value. If what you're doing is something the world needs - something that provides value to the world? You'll be able to find a way to get paid for it.
Your Ikigai lies at the intersection of these three elements. When you find it, suddenly, you’re not just working for a paycheck—you’re living a life that’s aligned with your deepest values and purpose. You're doing things you would do even if there were NO paycheck simply because it aligns with how you are wired.
Why Ikigai Matters for Your Finances
In the F40 program, we talk a lot about aligning your finances with your life’s goals. Most people plan for retirement "someday." They work and save for 40 years or more so that in their sixties, they can kick back and retire or do the things they really want to do.
But why spend most of your life doing things you aren't passionate about for a chance at engaging with your passions at the end of your life?
Much better, I think, to start with the end in mind. Plan your life. Think deeply about what you want to accomplish in your short time here on earth. What do you want to build? What do you want to give yourself to? What kinds of projects, engagements, and activities would get you out of bed in the morning?
Start there.
Start by thinking about the kind of life you actually want to live, and then align your financial goals to that vision. Don't make your goal a pile of money. That's not a goal. That's not a plan.
Have a plan for what you would DO with your money if you had it, and that will reveal how much money you actually need to live the life you want.
Design your life.
That’s where Ikigai comes in.
When your financial decisions are aligned with your Ikigai, you’re not just saving and investing for the sake of it. You’re doing it with a purpose. Your money becomes a tool that helps you live out your Ikigai—whether that’s through funding a passion project, supporting a cause you care about, or simply ensuring that you can continue to do the work you love.
For example, let’s say your Ikigai involves teaching others and you’re passionate about education. If you align your finances with this purpose, you might focus on building a career in education, investing in furthering your own knowledge, or even starting a business that helps others learn. Your ikigai informs your financial choices.
By contrast, if your financial goals are misaligned with your Ikigai, you might find yourself feeling unfulfilled, no matter how much money you’re making. You could be working a high-paying job that doesn’t satisfy you, saving for things you don’t really care about, or investing in ways that don’t support your true passions.
How to Discover Your Ikigai
Finding your Ikigai isn’t something that happens in 5 minutes. It’s a process of self-discovery that involves asking yourself some deep questions and being honest about the answers.
Here are a few steps to help you get started:
1. Reflect on What You Love: Think about the activities that bring you the most joy. What are the things you can’t wait to do? What makes you lose track of time? When you are deeply engaged in a task, you'll enter a flow state. Minutes or hours will fly by without you noticing. When does that happen to you?
2. Identify Your Strengths: What are you naturally good at? What skills have you developed over the years? What do people often ask for your help with?
3. Consider What the World Needs: How can your passions and skills benefit others? What problems or challenges do you feel drawn to solve? What contributions have people thanked you for or complimented you for? If you can figure out how your skills can solve problems for people or bring value to people, you can make money doing that thing.
This process might take some time, and that’s okay.
Your Ikigai can also evolve as you grow and change. It's okay to have seasons to your life.
How to LIVE your Ikigai
Once you have a clear sense of your Ikigai, the next step is to align your financial planning with it. This means making decisions about your money and career that support your purpose and values.
If your Ikigai involves a particular profession, consider how you can build a career in that field. This might mean pursuing further education, gaining new skills, or even starting your own business.
Or it might not be as dramatic as leaving your current place of work and finding another.
There might be changes you can make within your existing organization that would be a better fit for both you AND the company.
Consider talking to your boss about taking on some different responsibilities or projects that would be more in line with your skills and passions. This gives you a chance to see how that kind of work actually feels to you, and it gives your employer a chance to see what you're capable of.
The Power of Ikigai in Achieving Financial Freedom
When your financial life is aligned with your Ikigai, you’re not just chasing after money—you’re using money as a tool to build the life you want.
This alignment brings a sense of fulfillment and purpose that goes beyond financial success. Let me tell you, financial success without a sense of purpose is an express ride to depression.
We talk a lot about purpose, passion, and lifestyle design in F40, our 40-day path to financial freedom. In the F40, we show you how to achieve financial freedom and build the life you want, but we always encourage our students to start with the end in mind.
So, take the time to discover your Ikigai. Reflect on what you love, what you’re good at, what the world needs, and what you can be paid for. Then, start making financial decisions that align with that purpose.
When you do, you’ll find that financial freedom is about more than just big numbers and money in the bank—it’s about living a life of meaning and joy.
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