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Japan’s formula for life satisfaction
Ikigai
This is a way of life in Japan, where people work towards what they love doing, and do that with passion. Iki means life, and gai means ‘to be worthwhile’; loosely translated, Ikigai means the work, activity or hobby that gets an individual up in the morning.
It's something you live for: If you have a great time when you are working, it could be ikigai. If you have a family you love and you can do something for, it's also ikigai.
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Uniting Concepts With Reality
As the ikigai method of living one’s life has gained massive international attention in recent times, the concept itself is struggling to find a connection with reality in its homeland, where the downside of working 14-hour days is showing.
Origins Of Ikigai
The term was initially mentioned in the 14th Century and was then seen in the novel Kokoro (The Heart Of Things) by Natsume Soseki in 1912. As Japan emerged from an era of isolation and started embracing the international, industrial world, the new way of life started to interest the population.
The devastation of World War II brought the era of growth, known as the ‘economic miracle’, where the people of the country were filled with new energy, and had the focus and drive to achieve the impossible.
Ittaikan
… is a Japanese term translated as ‘commitment to one’s group’ and bodes well the Japanese sense of harmony.
The drive of work commitment of all men and women shaped the work-life balance in the last few decades.
The "Ganbaru" Trait
Long hours and sacrificed leisure time were (and still are) seen as positive virtues, while the “ganbaru” trait (“trying hard”) is valued above all. These attributes soon became an embodiment of the working ideal.
Mastery
Perfectionism, perseverance and quality craftsmanship are highly respected in Japan. The nature or size of the work is not of concern, and what matters is that the person put their heart and soul (and time) in the work they do.
Ikigai And Freedom
The true meaning of ikigai is not just doing your job with complete dedication and losing your work-life balance, but the freedom to choose what you really love and move towards the same.
Ikigai without the freedom to choose would be just another story told to people to deceive and exploit them.
Modern Japan
In the last 20 years, there has been a shift in Japan towards more awareness and freedom to seek one’s desired role. Job hopping, once considered Taboo, is gaining acceptance.
The young generation holds the key to untangle and repair the connections between true ikigai and the work they do so that the work-life balance is enhanced.
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The Japanese have a secret that embodies the idea of happiness in living, and it is called Ikigai.
Essentially, Ikigai, loosely translated to life value, or life worth, is a con...
Ikigai: The Reason for Being
Ikigai is illustrated in four overlapping circles, as in a Venn Diagram which talks about a synthesis of:
- What you love to do.
- What you are good at.
- What the world needs.
- What you can be paid for.
Ikigai and Happiness
According to psychiatrist Mieko Kamiya, the concept of Ikigai is similar to happiness, but with a difference.
Ikigai looks at the larger picture of life, allowing you to be ok with a miserable situation, as the grand vision of life, and the future is still positive.
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In the Japanese language, there is a term to design the behavior of a person who buys books only to leave them unread on a shelf at home. This term is ‘tsundoku’ and it implies the combin...
Bibliomania
... or the collection addiction, was first spotted in Thomas Frognall Dibdin’s novels and it describes the unstoppable act of collecting first editions and illustrated copies of literature.
Later on, the same term would describe a person who is more passionate about rather than obsessed with building up a collection of literature.
Tsundoku vs. Bibliomania
Though both terms are used in order to describe behaviours related to readers, Tsundoku implies the idea of having as goal to read books rather than to simply collect them, while Bibliomania refers to the will to collect books, rather than to read them.
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Going all-in on remote work: benefits for businesses
Remote work can be costly or cost-saving, depending on how well-equipped you are to really support it.
- When done right, assessing the appropriateness of remote work for all your empl...
Defining roles for a remote work setting
Businesses can categorize employees:
- Location-independent. Knowledge workers are not dependent on location and don't need to be in an office.
- Location-frequent. These people spend half their time in an office and half remote. They need an in-person base to use for coordination and physical meetings. These are often salespeople, marketing people, back-office services (IT, HR, finance), and creative jobs.
- Mandatory in-office jobs. These involve specialized equipment that you can't put in an employee's home, such as manufacturing jobs.
Far more job functions can be done remotely if company leadership will accept it. But, remote work is not for everyone. Some jobs are tied to physical locations or equipment. Some people also do not want to work from home.
Equipping remote workers
In-office employees that transition to remote work need to be equipped. Spending recommendations are:
- A one-time stipend to purchase some office furniture and other miscellaneous work equipment.
- Basic ergonomic training.
- The same class of laptop or workstation they'd get in the office.
- A monthly stipend to offset some or all home broadband costs.
- IT support costs.
- Basic, yet complete tech loadout, such as laptop, secondary monitor, mouse, keyboard, wired earbuds, USB hub, chair that meets ergonomic needs.
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