I’m an advocate for specifically writing down, saving, and consistently reviewing important goals and objectives.
For example, I have what I believe to be my life’s purpose written down. I review it once a week, comparing it with my current projects list. (Of note, it’s not written in stone, and I consider editing it twice a year, however it has been remarkably stable over the past three years.)
This helps me in two ways. First, the act of writing down my purpose requires clarity of thought. If I am being “wishy-washy” (a great hyphenated word by the way!) then it is easier to see this on paper.
Second, and more importantly, having my life purpose written down allows me to say no to opportunities that will distract me from fulfilling it.
I think writing down our ikigai offers the same benefits.
Write down what you really love to do. For example, when I went through this exercise myself, I recognized that although I enjoy writing, I am really passionate about sharing and expressing interesting ideas, usually by writing. (The difference is subtle, but it does explain why I’ve always liked to do presentations to large groups of people.)
Write down why the world needs your ikigai. There are two elements to this. First, you have to define what you mean by “world.” For example, in my non-fiction writing, my world consists of a small group of professionals, and intellectuals.
And second, why does this world need you? In other words, what problem are you trying to solve for them? (In my case, I am not trying to radically change my world. I am just trying to nudge it a little.)
Write down how you intend to get paid for your ikigai. Honesty is critical here. For example, in writing books, I need to decide whether or not to self-publish or seek an agent and publisher. The economic, timeframe and autonomy implications for the two business models are markedly different.
Finally, write down your abilities in reference to your ikigai—both your strengths and weaknesses. This is important when addressing time constraints. For example, one of my ikigai’s weaknesses is editing. So, if I am asked to attend a one-hour Zoom conference by some old colleagues to brainstorm ideas about a healthcare project (something which i would enjoy doing, but is now outside of my ikigai) versus spending an hour by myself working on my editing skills (my greatest ikigai weakness), then it is evident I need to say no to the former.
Spend some time thinking about and writing down the four elements of your ikigai. The time ROI will be substantial.