The Maelstrom Mind and the Ikigai Anchor

AKA how intersection leads to innovation, unexpected joy and geeky rainbow niche product ideas

I sit at my desk, trying for the tenth time in as many weeks to condense my ideas into an increasingly convoluted mind map in my bullet journal. Testament to a mind that races faster than my ability to keep up or tease a succinct message from. My thoughts can be like fireflies, flickering and impossible to catch. My beautiful rainbow coloured journal is a reflection of both my mind and my process for trying to quieten the noise in it. A way to chart a path through the ocean of ideas, doubts, and fleeting moments of brilliance. Or a way to find a quiet harbour to rest a while in. I'm haunted by a fear that my potential is slipping through my fingers like sand in an hourglass. I can’t break the promises I have made to myself to strive to be better.  I don’t want to be a dreamer who can't find a way to turn their dreams into reality. I have that aching feeling that I'm capable of so much more, if only I could somehow navigate by the stars in my night skies.

Carol S. Dweck, in her book "Mindset: The New Psychology of Success," says

“In a growth mindset, challenges are exciting rather than threatening. So rather than thinking, oh, I'm going to reveal my weaknesses, you say, wow, here's a chance to grow.”

I love this perspective, the idea of reframing challenges as opportunities for growth rather than insurmountable roadblocks resonates with me deeply. It also made me want to find a way to harness the frenetic energy of my mind and channel it into something constructive. Rather than viewing my scattered focus as a flaw, I began to see it as a myriad of paths, each leading to potential areas of growth and learning. This shift in mindset is a key step in a journey towards building better habits, setting achievable goals, and gradually integrating the energy of my curiosity and thoughts into a more purpose-driven way in all aspects of my life.

Being in this frame of mind meant that I started to review my bullet journals in a more thoughtful way, and something hugely stood out to me. I always drew out the infamous Ikigai Venn diagram (even though it’s more like a Euler diagram than a Venn one) in each of them at least once, but then didn’t actually do anything with the empty template, why not?  The diagram had always struck a chord deep within me. It wasn't just about finding what you love or what pays well, but about the convergence of what you are GOOD at, what the WORLD NEEDS, and what brings you joy and sustenance. The idea that there could be a sweet spot where my talents, passions, and the needs of the world intersected was both comforting and motivating.  I just needed to find a method to explore what that might mean for me, including concrete and practical steps to undertake.

Renowned Ikigai expert Ken Mogi, who I adore, highlights the essence of this concept in his book, "The Little Book of Ikigai"

“Ikigai empowers us to see our life's worth, to dream and to plan, to be busy and contented, to be individual and connected.”

Ikigai is for me a lens through which I can view my career and life choices, not as disparate threads but as part of a cohesive tapestry. It provides a framework for understanding how my thoughts and interests can be channelled. It is not about a singular path to success but about finding balance and harmony in the various aspects of life and work.

In my journey, I've discovered that the most profound joys often emerge from the simplest intersections in life – those serendipitous moments that Vanilla Sky so beautifully encapsulates. The film paints a vivid picture of finding wonder in the unexpected and beauty in the mundane. It's in these intersections, where our daily routines cross paths with the extraordinary, that life's true essence sparkles.

This realisation came to me independently, but it felt beautifully serendipitous when I learned that Ken Mogi considers the 'joy of little things' as one of the five pillars of Ikigai. It's not just about grand achievements or life-altering epiphanies; it's about savouring the morning sun filtering through the leaves, the laughter shared in a fleeting moment with a stranger, or the satisfaction of a task well done. These small joys form the mosaic of life lived with purpose and passion. They remind us that ikigai isn't just a distant goal to strive for; it's woven into the fabric of our everyday experiences, enriching each interaction and intersection with a sense of fulfilment and happiness.

Talking of everyday experiences, Doctor Who is very much on my mind at present. It is the 60th anniversary of one of the things I love the most in life.  When I think about things the world needs, fairness and kindness are consistently areas of importance for me.  It really upsets me to see vitriol and transphobia.  David Tennant was wearing a TARDIS pin on the One Show the other night, and oh look in a beautifully unexpected intersection, it was in the trans flag colours.  Oh and that gorgeous enamel pin is available to purchase, so definitely something that money can be made from.

Gorgeously detailed and specific niches are all around us, keep working on yours.  Keep brainstorming through exercises to identify yours, even if they don’t map to all 4 categories, if they map to even 2 or 3, they are very likely something of value to at least one other good hearted weirdo out there!

Back to the wider point, Ken says that for Japanese people “ikigai is something like the air we breathe” and therefore they aren’t thinking about it in terms of specifics or as he says “rules to follow in your life”.  Interestingly he said he had pretty much finished writing his whole book before he came up with the five pillars of ikigai;

Which is another endorsement I think for the process and journey I have embarked on, which is to just dive in and DO THE THING, without overthinking, because as you do that your thoughts become clearer.  As you do more research on the topics that matter to you, you can connect dots with your own feelings and realms of expertise and experience and come up with new ways to articulate them, and that can then lead on to new product and service ideas that in turn both help others and potentially give you a way to generate income.

Once more to Ken’s wisdom, he also makes the point that the concept of ikigai is deeply embedded into Japanese culture and the diagram that first brought me to the concept, is definitely not Japanese.  He did say it is probably helpful, but isn’t what ikigai actually is.  I love the fact that he says it is ALL of those things and more, that almost immediately makes me feel that the pressure is off a little.  The idea that I am saying to strive (hustle culture once more) towards one perfect and solitary thing can be more off putting to people than motivational.

I definitely want to help people not scare them off!

Another bit of beautiful intersection and serendipity in listening to Ken, he said that the whole spectrum is ikigai.  Spectrum makes me think rainbows.  I love rainbows, a LOT, and have been working on ideas for a new banner for my social profiles and my current favourite that DALL-E has produced needs some work but I was keen for it to reflect a cartoon version of me being happy and rainbowy, as that is a version of me I like;

So there you go, back to a rambly and jumbled thought, but I can always find ways to weave them into my wider narrative.  In the end, my exploration of thoughts, fears, and dreams through the lens of ikigai has led me to an invaluable realisation: the true essence of this concept isn't found in a one-time revelation, but in its role as a continual guiding principle in our lives. Ikigai is not just about unearthing a singular purpose, but about the ongoing journey of aligning our daily actions with our deeper values and joys. It encourages us to regularly reevaluate and recalibrate, finding new intersections of passion, talent, and service as we evolve. This journey has taught me that there's profound value in establishing a personal ikigai process, one that we revisit and refine over time. By doing so, we ensure that our path remains not just a pursuit of goals, but a fulfilling exploration of life's ever-changing landscape, where our true ikigai lies waiting to be discovered and rediscovered, illuminating our way to a meaningful and joyous existence.

My anchor and my compass, a reminder that exploring all the myriad of intersections in my life is both a happy way to travel but also a way to unearth unique and innovative ideas and solutions.

PS - note to self to do a deeper dive on the wisdom of the film Vanilla Sky, I love so many quotes from it;

“Every passing minute is another chance to turn it all around.”

“But I just think good things will happen if you are a good person with a good attitude, don’t you think?”

“Just remember, the sweet is never as sweet without the sour’

PPS - Please tell me what your favourite weird and wonderful geeky intersection combinations are, I’d love to hear from you!

Sarah, Seeking Ikigai xxx