As we move toward the end of the year, I find myself returning to a model that has become essential to my own practice of living intentionally: Ikigai.
It’s a Japanese concept that translates roughly to “reason for being,” and it invites us to explore the intersection of four questions: What do I love? What am I good at? What does the world need? And what can I be valued for?
When I sit with these questions at year-end, I’m not looking for perfect answers or a tidy plan. I’m looking for honest reflection—where my energy has been going, what has felt aligned, and what might need to shift.
I use this model every year to pause and take stock. It helps me see where I’ve been spending my time and attention and whether that feels true to what matters most. Sometimes the answers surprise me. Sometimes they confirm what I already knew but hadn’t named. If you’re feeling the pull to reflect as this year closes, I encourage you to sit with these questions. They’re deceptively simple, but they have a way of revealing what’s already alive in you—and what might be asking for more space in the year ahead.
IKIGAI: Finding Your Reason for Being
What You Love ~ What You’re Good At = PASSION
The work that lights you up from the inside and comes naturally to you.
Reflection questions:
- What activities make you lose track of time because you’re so absorbed in them?
- When do you feel most like yourself—most alive and engaged?
What You Love ~ What the World Needs = MISSION
The contribution that calls to your heart and serves something beyond yourself.
Reflection questions:
- What breaks your heart about the world, and what would you want to help heal or change?
- If you could dedicate your energy to one thing that would make a difference, what would it be?
What the World Needs ~ What You Can Be Valued For = VOCATION
The work that allows you to be of service while sustaining your life.
Reflection questions:
- Where do people consistently turn to you for help, guidance, or expertise?
- What needs do you see around you that you’re uniquely positioned to meet?
What You’re Good At ~ What You Can Be Valued For = PROFESSION
The skills and capabilities that others recognize and compensate you for.
Reflection questions:
- What do you do with such ease that others find it remarkable?
- Where have you built competence that creates tangible value for others?
The Center: IKIGAI
Where all four intersect—your reason for being and the place where your gifts, your joy, the world’s needs, and your livelihood meet.
Take some time with these questions. Let them sit with you. You don’t need to have it all figured out—just notice what surfaces, what feels true, and what might be asking for your attention in the year to come.
