šø ikigai ēćē²ę is a reason for being, your purpose in life - from the Japanese iki ēć meaning life and gai ē²ę meaning worth šø
Iāve felt an aching oozing emptiness, in my heart and my bones. A gnawing raw deep pain, something missing, perhaps torn from me. Too difficult to define. Insidious.
Iāve also been desperate and not in control of my life. The fear and frustration of being at the whim of an unpredictable and heartless master. Sobbing your heart out at the unfairness of having given your everything, then a sudden change of the rules and you are no longer on the team.
One path lead to depression, the other to burnout.
Iāve spent a lot of my life trying to fill a void. A drink or six after work, telling myself I deserved to "take the edge off". Chain-smoking on my front doorstep, watching the smoke curl into the night sky, wondering if this was all there was to life.
Itās sadly common. Friends confide in me, their eyes burning with restlessness or injustice too.
We are all fidgety and yearning. Searching for somethingāmeaning, purpose, fairnessābut the path to finding it seems obscure, almost mythical.
This is why Iāve SO loved finding something tangible, easy to start and better for me than booze.Ā
Seeking ikigai isnāt a quick fix or a magical solution, the fairies know Iāve never been one for an easy path through life.Ā
It did though offer a vision and a framework, somewhere to start.
Finding my unique āreason for beingā as a way to heal.
Importantly, it didn't have to be a monumental, stress-inducing task. It could begin kindly, with small steps and tiny habits that, over time lead to profound change.
So I started simple by drawing a diagram in my bullet journal. I didn't know it then, but this would set me on such a joyous and helpful path.
This is about the power of incremental change, of showing up day after day, and of slowly but surely filling that void with purpose and meaning.
If you've ever felt that nagging emptiness, if you've ever wondered, "Is this all there is?" then this is for you.
If you feel adrift, disconnected from a purpose, I wish for you to reclaim control and find meaning in your life. This guide offers practical steps towards your ikigai using bullet journaling techniques. I'll share practical steps I take, the small habits I formed, and the insights I gained along the way.Ā
Step 1. Start a journal
I introduced my bullet journal practice to you in a recent post. Grab yourself a notebook, any will do, oh and something to write with.
If you are just starting, perhaps cheap no pressure stuff is best, so you donāt overthink and can just write and write.
I know me though, it being pretty and allowing me to do some colouring in, is part of what makes it an enjoyable and enduring habit.Ā
The beauty of this is there is no right way, try it and let it evolve as you find your way hesitantly and then hopefully growing in confidence as you see it helping.
Take your time and pick and mix some or all of the following steps.
Step 2. Identify your unique traits and harness AI to help you decipher ways to use them!
Understanding what makes you unique is a helpful step towards finding your ikigai. This process gives you a clearer sense of yourself, your value and sets you on a path towards acceptance and love.
In your bullet journal, create a "Uniqueness" spread. I like to brainstorm my labels, both good and bad, anything I can think of that is important to me and to some extent defines me or can describe a camp I am in.
Ask five trusted friends to describe your strengths. Record their responses in your journal. There may be words they say that you want to add to your labels list, for example āGood listenerā was a trait I hadnāt realised about myself as having value!
Reflect on past achievements and note patterns or themes that emerge, list activities that make you lose track of time, skills others often seek your help with, and subjects you're passionate about learning.
Bonus AI tip! >
Did you know that you can attach images of your journal to ChatGPT or Claude?
Try it, and play around with coming up with your own prompt - hereās mine for today;
āPlease help me by giving me a list of 5 random combinations from my attached uniqueness spread, ensure that all of them intersect with at least three and then list the attributes and then give an example sentence for a potential career option or way to generate revenue as an entrepreneur for each of them in turn.ā
ChatGPT dutifully did as asked and there were some interesting sets of attributes I wouldnāt have put together along with ideas for how they could potentially be things I can be PAID FOR.
Here was Claudeās answer to the exact same prompt. I find it so interesting that they can both read my tiny handwriting so well and also understand the context of acronyms like HSP and ND.
We live in the future people, and Iām here for it!
Step 3. Refine your values
I wrote a practical guide to getting to know your values.
None of these activities should be a one time and done thing. Keep spreads that leave a little space for you to add or remove items as you see fit throughout the year.
From time to time take some of the words and then journal about what they mean to you. Perhaps when you are feeling reflective you can consider what has happened to you in the day and how closely your reactions aligned to your vision of your best self and what you can learn from that.
Step 4. Record & track your intersections
You can ask an AI friend to combine both your UNIQUENESS and VALUES images and tell you what intersections are appearing that may lead you closer to ikigai.
I find that the types of responses can get a little repetitive but they *are* a starting point. They stop the blank page syndrome and I often find that they spark a creative fizz in me that then allows me to springboard to real uniqueness, the nuggets that actually could end up being a viable path and business for me.
Here is my current spread, itās sparse but Iām starting to see paths that are uniquely mine.Ā Creating my own category or niche. There are lots of people that talk about ikigai, even more that talk about bullet journaling. But both of them? By a techie person who combines the practice with the very latest in AI innovation as it evolves?
I could be the only person on the planet doing that, especially if I chuck in female and Manx/British and/or GenX.
That lights a fire in me, to know I am creating something new that can help others.Ā
That gives me a huge heap of meaning, a uniquely personal reason for being.
Embracing the Journey
As we reach the end of these steps for ikigai bullet journaling today, remember that this is just the beginning of your journey. The steps we've explored todayāstarting a journal, identifying your unique traits, refining your values, and tracking intersectionsāare the foundation for a practice that can profoundly impact your life.
But the beauty of this process lies in its ongoing nature. Your ikigai isn't a destination; it's a path you walk every day, constantly discovering and rediscovering what gives your life meaning and purpose.
In the coming weeks and months, I'll be sharing more tips, techniques, and insights to deepen your ikigai bullet journaling practice. We'll explore topics like:
Habit trackers aligned with your ikigai
Designing weekly and monthly reflections to stay on course
Integrating mindfulness practices into your journaling routine
Using your journal to overcome obstacles and celebrate victories
Your journey is unique, and I'd love to hear about it. What resonated with you in this guide? Have you already started your ikigai bullet journal? What challenges or insights have you encountered?
Share your thoughts, ideas, and experiences in the comments below. Your perspective might be just what another reader needs to hear to take that first step or push through a difficult patch.
Remember, in the quest for ikigai, we're all students and teachers. Let's learn from each other and grow together. Here's to finding our purpose, one journal entry at a time.
Stay tuned for more, and happy journaling!
Lots of love, Sarah seeking ikigai xxx
PS; Iām in a joyous yet cheesy mood and the mention of the journey we are on just made me fixate on one song that always makes me smile;
I am also on a journey of creativity and reason for being - kickstarted by my husbandās cancer. But I am sure glad that I have had this chance to be purposeful and thoughtful about my raison dāĆŖtre
A really positive and valuable post with lots of takeaways.