‘Ikigai’ is a Japanese concept that roughly translates to ‘life’s purpose’. It is basically the thing that gets you out of bed in the morning. It is commonly expressed using this Venn diagram which means the thing you are meant to do, your Ikigai, is a combination of what you are good at, what you can earn money from, what the world needs and what you love. Your Ikigai, a mixture of passion, mission, profession and vocation, can be anything from art and music to accounting or being a parent. Having the self-awareness to recognise what your Ikigai could be can actually have a huge impact on how your life progresses.

Knowing the concept of an Ikigai is an incredibly useful tool for senior students, especially if they are struggling to decide on a career path or subjects to specialise in during senior school or university. Drawing out this diagram and filling in the things they know about themselves can at the very least give them a sense of direction.

Of course, your Ikigai may change, and you may not know the answer to what it is at first, or ever, but this guide can be a really great starting point!

Having your student that is old enough for introspection have a think abut their Ikigai may help ground them to the right path. After all, you want the thing they get out of bed for in the morning to be something they truly love!

Written by Full Spectrum Education.

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