30 Oct How to Gain Clarity When You Are Stuck in Your Career – Ikigai Method

How to Gain Clarity When You Are Stuck in Your Career

I was getting stuck in my career almost on regular basis. First, when I graduated from my university, then when I was facing jobs I didn’t like doing. After that came the struggle with actually making money. When I finally got around to doing what I like, I became a mother. Another transition and need for changes. My kids made me realize that if I have to give away time to my job it should also have an impact. Whoa! Impossible to have it all!

It is normal to get stuck sometimes. But if you do, you need to try to get yourself out of the way so that you can keep moving forward. Ikigai is a great method to do that.

Ikigai Method

Illustration by Kimia Golabgir

Ikigai in Japanese means “the reason for being”. It helps you to find a purpose in life and the direction to feel that your life is worthwhile.

The benefits of Ikigai:

✅ Find your passion
✅ Get paid to do what you love
✅ Give your life meaning and purpose

How to find your Ikigain

There are five simple steps to follow to find your Ikigai. It seems simple but it might take you a while to find your Ikigai. If you are not sure about the answers give yourself time and focus on self-awareness first. Just knowing those steps should already bring you closer.

1️⃣ Write what do you love
2️⃣ Then focus on what you are good at
3️⃣ Try to think what the world actually needs right now
4️⃣ List all the things you could get paid for
5️⃣ Try to combine all your answers into one, Ikigai.

I always knew my Ikigai but it took me over 7 years to put it into words and be 100% sure about the direction that I am taking. The sooner you know it, the better and easier your life will be.

If it still sounds confusing you can watch a video here, where I talk with my friend Radhika from Laughing Popcorn where we share our Ikigai experiences and try to decode the challenge to get paid doing what we love.

If you are confused about the method itself you can check also more practical explanations. I have seen it first in the video by Chris Do.

If you are stuck at any stage, feel free to contact me or comment below and we can solve it together. It takes some time to figure it out.

You might have to look back at the time when you were a child, free from being an adult, to remember what did you really love doing. It could be also useful to get advice from an expert in your industry to discover what the world needs right now.

Try to write as many things as you can, take your time, and build up Ikigai as you grow in your life and professionally.

What is your Ikigai?