Following your ikigai means aligning the four main fields of your life:<ul><li class="ql-align-justify">what you love</li><li class="ql-align-justify">what the world needs</li><li class="ql-align-justify">what you can be paid for</li><li class="ql-align-justify">and what you are good at.</li></ul>And if you ever read about ikigai, you might have already seen this graphic.

Ikigai: The 4 Fields of Life (1)

When you think you need a break, it’s already too late. And it would help if you had done it long before.Breaks are essential for your mind and body to keep doing their best. So, you can just plan your break with the same care you schedule your tasks if you are serious about your goals.Start with a <a href="https://cosmopolitanmindset.substack.com/p/unplug-and-reconnect-the-24-hour">24-Hour Do Nothing Challenge </a>, for example.

7 — Take some time off.

Living by these values can be satisfying for a while. But it will never be fulfilling. And even if you use three of the four fields, the results won’t change much:<ol><li class="ql-align-justify">Without something you can be paid for, you will feel happy and fulfilled but have no wealth.</li><li class="ql-align-justify">Without something you are good at, you will feel excited and self-approval but have a lot of uncertainty.</li><li class="ql-align-justify">Without something you love, you will feel comfortable but empty.</li><li class="ql-align-justify">And without something the world needs, you will be satisfied but useless.</li></ol>Therefore, to find your ikigai, you must find and master all four fields of your life.

Ikigai: The 4 Fields of Life (3)

I know I built a terrible goal when I reached it, but ignore what comes next.Your goals should always have a next step. So, leave them open. Think of the bigger picture. And keep yourself in movement.

3 — Never build self-closing goals.

Sometimes, I work more on a goal because I feel the adrenaline rushing. Maybe I’m excited about a new project or I found some spare motivation.I work double the hours or even more. And then, the next day, I’m so exhausted I skip. But it shouldn’t work like this.You can delay your excitement until the next day. Value consistency over quantity. And you will never burn out.

5 — Don’t burn out.

We always reward ourselves with a guilty pleasure for our birthday. But we have never thought of a greater reward — a bit of <a href="https://www.cosmopolitanmindset.com/delayed-gratification-to-help-improve-your-life/">delayed gratification </a>.So, next time you set a goal, set the deadline next to your birthday. Give yourself this big gift. And you will work with re-found motivation.

10 — Complete a goal for your next birthday.

In my experience, I’ve noticed there are two types of goals:<ul><li class="ql-align-justify">those you pick out of greed</li><li class="ql-align-justify">and those that make you happy.</li></ul>The only difference between them is that greedy goals have lost their reward. And that’s a feature of goals you have prolonged for too much. So, you should rethink them and understand the reward you’ll get from reaching them.Is it worth your time?

8 — Pick goals that make you happy.

Do you ever try to understand if you will reach your goals?I often calculate the weekly and monthly average, multiply it by the missing time, and try to foresee if I will succeed. And although this is an efficient way to understand if it’s going great or if you need more work, it could also become dangerous.Don’t focus too much on how easily you will reach your goal. You will lose a lot of time you could have used otherwise.

9 — Limit your projection greed.

Ikigai means “a reason for being” and represents one of the few concepts of the flow of life we have long forgotten.In Western societies, we have the concept of purpose. It should be a driving force that motivates you to achieve your goals. But ikigai doesn’t only focus on goals.A purpose often remains a dream if you don’t create a practical plan. But ikigai is never a dream. Ikigai shows you your reason for being in the world according to your strengths and weaknesses.It’s a roadmap for a happy and fulfilling life. But you have to complete it honestly to get something out of it.

What is Ikigai?

Héctor Garcia and Francesc Miralles wrote the popular book Ikigai: The Japanese Secret to a Long and Happy Life.Now, we’ve already seen ikigai’s meaning and how it works. You can read the book to know how to live a longer and happier life. So, I will focus on using ikigai to build better goals.<ol><li class="ql-align-justify">Follow your ikigai</li><li class="ql-align-justify">Give thanks</li><li class="ql-align-justify">Don’t fill your stomach</li><li class="ql-align-justify">Stay active, don’t retire</li><li class="ql-align-justify">Take it slow</li><li class="ql-align-justify">Surround yourself with friends</li><li class="ql-align-justify">Reconnect with nature</li><li class="ql-align-justify">Smile</li><li class="ql-align-justify">Live in the moment</li><li class="ql-align-justify">Get in shape for your next birthday</li></ol>Let’s see how to transform these rules to build better goals.

The 10 Rules of Ikigai

I can’t ask you to live a life that aligns with your ikigai starting from tomorrow. Your ikigai is something you will find with time and will evolve.But I can ask you another thing.Next time you set a goal, follow these ten ikigai rules I showed you. And I can guarantee you will build a more balanced and easy-to-reach goal.[<a href="https://cosmopolitanmindset.substack.com/p/how-to-use-your-ikigai-to-build-better-goals">DOWNLOAD</a> THE FREE INFOGRAPHIC]

According to Garcia and Miralles, you should always thank those who supported you. So, when you reach a goal, thank yourself and those who were by your side.Celebrate your wins and achievements. You deserved it.

2 — Celebrate your achievements.

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Before You Go

Once you reach a goal, it becomes easier to reproduce that same success. And with time, your routine will stagnate if you don’t challenge yourself with greater challenges.Try something new. Try something bigger. Search for new stimuli. It will fire up your motivation.

4 — Search for a greater challenge.

The purpose is only a quarter of your ikigai. But when you think about your goals, motivation plays a big role. And having a strong purpose is fundamental to feeding it.<a href="https://www.cosmopolitanmindset.com/the-hidden-reason-you-havent-found-your-life-purpose-yet/">Search for your purpose </a>if you haven’t found it yet.

1 — Follow your purpose.

As you can see, when you only consider two fields, you get four values you should always be aware of:<ol><li class="ql-align-justify">Passion = what you love + what you are good at</li><li class="ql-align-justify">Mission = what you love + what the world needs</li><li class="ql-align-justify">Profession = what you are good at + what you can be paid for</li><li class="ql-align-justify">Vocation = what you can be paid for + what the world needs</li></ol>

Ikigai: The 4 Fields of Life (2)

You are reading an excerpt from <a href="https://cosmopolitanmindset.substack.com/">The Challenge</a>, a newsletter where I discuss self-improvement, goal-setting, habits, time management, and health tips and tricks.Every week, you will get the following:<ul><li class="ql-align-justify">a challenge to pursue to improve your life</li><li class="ql-align-justify">an infographic to track it.</li></ul><a href="https://cosmopolitanmindset.substack.com/subscribe">Subscribe now</a> and start your first challenge.

The Challenge

I always loved Japanese culture because it is so distant from ours. But it isn’t just me.In the last few years, Japanese culture has greatly impacted our society. It started with anime like Dragon Ball and Gundam. And it’s growing bigger with authors like Murakami (one of my favorites).I fell in love with the mysticism of this spiritual culture. And I started to consume a lot of content about it.I found many things that caught my attention and made me grow. Ikigai was one of these things. And I’m trying to apply it wherever I can in my life.

The Spirit of Japan

A good friend can serve many purposes.Some friends will support you when you’re feeling down. Others will help you reach your goals. And others can do both.You can ask your friends to become your accountability system — they will do a great job. A true friend wants the best for you. So, they won’t miss a chance to tell you to focus on your goals if you ask them.

6 — Find accountable friends.

Build better goals with Ikigai! Learn how to harness your Ikigai to create purposeful and achievable goals. Discover the path to a fulfilling and balanced life today!

Ikigai: The 4 Fields of Life (1)

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Ikigai

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The Ikigai diagram