The Ikigai Zone: How to Win in Life & Career (Without Talent or Luck)

If you have ever found yourself stuck in a job or career path, you will understand the frustration of feeling unfulfilled and uncertain about the future.

Many people share the same concerns or questions in life.

How do I discover my authentic work? What is my unique selling proposition? How can I find meaning in what I do? How can I find the one thing that makes me come alive and live a more fulfilling life?

These concerns are actually blessings in disguise because they force us to find our true calling (or rather, “ikigai zone”).

Gay Hendricks calls it The Genius Zone — a term used to describe the state in which we are most productive, inspired, and inclined to produce work that is aligned with our authentic voice.

“Your Zone of Genius is where your interests, passions and skills align. Operating in your Zone of Genius means playing games you are uniquely well-suited to win,”says Sahil Bloom.

I call it “The ikigai Zone” — a state of total immersion in an activity, task or creative work that feels almost effortless, and you lose track of time. It’s similar to your zone of genius but makes reference to the Japanese concept of finding your purpose: ikigai.

In Japanese, having an “ikigai” means having a purpose for your life. It’s abalance between who you are and what you love to do. Your Ikigai is why you get up in the morning, so to speak.

What is your ikigai, or “why” in life?

In your ikigai zone, great work flows effortlessly

Einstein once said, “Everybody is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will spend its whole life believing that it is stupid.”

It doesn’t matter how old or young you are; everyone has the potential to achieve greatness and find their zone of genius.

The goal in life is to find your sweet spot of genius to live life effortlessly. If you can find and capitalise on what makes you come alive, you will be unstoppable.

A lot of people struggle to find their zone of genius.

You can overcome that huddle by identifying what inspires you most, getting out of your comfort zone more often, challenging yourself regularly, and creating opportunities for new experiences.

Each of us has a zone of genius — it could be anything from designing, writing, creating, or playing an instrument to inspiring others or even painting like Picasso.

Finding your ikigai zone gives you clarity about who you are and what you love doing most in this world. It also helps you discover your purpose and how you can positively impact other people’s lives.

In his book, “Superhuman”, author and scientist Art Markham posits that themost significant opportunities for growth in our lives are found in the “third spaces” between where we are now and where we want to be.

In other words, it’s not about reaching a goal or endpoint, but rather how we get there that matters most. Art identifies three zones of genius: zone 1 being your comfort zone, zone 2 being your stretch zone, and zone 3 being your peak performance zone.

The monotony of everyday life can make you feel like you’ve lost your sense of adventure, creativity or discovery. Don’t give up just yet. You can reach your peak performance zone if you want it bad enough.

If what you do to put food on your table doesn’t fulfil you or bring out the best in you, make time outside work to do more of what makes you come alive. Your happiness depends on it.

It’s no longer enough to have a job, especially if it doesn’t bring out the very best in you. People now want to know what their true passions are, what they can dedicate their lives to, and what gives them that spark of joy when they think about it.

Ikigai is what ignites fire in you and gives meaning to your existence. Discovering your Ikigai is like unravelling a mystery — once you find it, there will be no stopping you from achieving everything you want from life.

Your ikigai zone changes everything.

Everyone has different reasons for living and various passions that drive them to action. Some people want to make a difference with an important social cause, while others may feel drawn to help people in need or embark on a new creative adventure.

Regardless of how unique your interests are, you probably have one thing in common with most humans: wondering your purpose in life and how you can find it. That search for meaning is natural and something we all experience at some point.

Your ‘ikigai’ is the answer to your questions about finding meaning in life. If you are not living your genius yet, make time to find that sweet spot where your skills, passions, and things you care about intersect.

It’s the secret to your genius.

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To our common journey,

Until the next post,

Be epic!

Thomas