Putting the AI in Ikigai

Last year, I learned this term: Ikigai (pronounced icky-guy). It's a Japanese word that describes one's reason for being. It's a nice idea. It works somewhat mathematically. Essentially, it's the sum of four parts.

Combining these four things creates a fulfilled life. Knowing your Ikigai is almost a superpower. It combines everything needed for impactful work to make you the best at what you do.

"Don't be the Best, be the Only." - Kevin Kelly

For many years, being fulfilled by meaningful work was for dreamers. Only a select few could ever hope to achieve it. These days, things are changing. With automation creeping into every corner of the workplace, the threat of redundancy looms for many workers. Yet, hope remains for those who seek it.

Automation promises to take on the monotonous tasks previously done by humans. With monotony removed from the equation, we make room for inspiration, meaning and impact to fill its place. Machines are not yet capable of replacing humans entirely. They lack the divine touch and talent for inspiration that all humans are born with. The time is ripe for us all to rediscover this natural ability.

Many people I know sleepwalked their way into their careers. They rode the education conveyor belt until the first sign of a prosperous career made them jump off. A decade on, they sit trapped in the mire of monotonous Microsoft Teams calls and tiresome 'I hope this finds you well' emails. Sitting now in my ivory tower, I bet most of them would give their right arm for a job tailor-made for them. A job to harness their best qualities. That tackles the issues most dear to them. That enables them to live the life they want unbeholden by clients and bosses they despise. That is why I believe Ikigai to be so important.

I've rambled enough about why I think Ikigai is important. Now, it is time to discuss how to make it known. How can we show people the way to theirs? It is an important question with a simple answer.

"Shove it down their f***ing throats!" - Jack Christian

Not quite. If I'm being honest, I have no idea what the answer is. Marketing and enticing people to new ideas is not my forte. I hope this blog post is enough (I've always been foolishly hopeful). I know it won't be. It can, however, be a drop in the torrent to come. The time is ripe for a new wave of ideas. As people become more disillusioned with work, surely the need for new perspectives must arise. For those willing to know more. For those whose interest has been piqued. Read on.

SHAMELESS PLUG ALERT!

I built a website - SHOCK! The website contains a questionnaire. The questionnaire aims to extract information about someone's talents, passions and desired impact. It sends that data to an AI. It then returns five career options that might suit the person's Ikigai. I call it Stepping Stonez.

It's all well and good preaching the importance of Ikigai. I wanted to go further. I made a practical tool that offers people a starting point in the search for their Ikigai. If someone feels inspired by one of their Ikigai options, the AI can create a learning path of online courses, practical experience and wider learning to give them a firm footing for their new career.

True, this is a plug. Please don't mistake me for someone who doesn't believe in this idea. I wish everyone to find their true calling. I want everyone to know their reason for being. Imagine a world where everyone worked a job made for them to excel. What an exciting world that would be.

There are many issues out there in the world. I know they are solvable with the right people working on them. There is no problem an Ikigai-empowered person cannot solve.