Aligning Passion with Purpose: Finding My Ikigai

Ikigai, a Japanese concept meaning "reason for being," represents the intersection of four key elements: what you love, what you are good at, what the world needs, and what you can be paid for. Personally I have a lot of areas where I apply this philosophy to. For example when I look for a new opportunity this is how my thought process goes:

1. What am I good at? What am I trained for and skilled in?
2. What would I love to do for the next 5-10 years? What would I like to learn for the next 5-10 years?
3. What can I get paid for doing that I am good at and passionate about?

This filter process helps me seek out the best opportunities for my future. But then I have used the same process with an increased scope for my career architecting too. Here is an example of how I applied principles of Ikigai to Electric Vehicle Engineering as a career path for me.

1. What You Love: EV Engineering sates my passion for innovation in the field of Electronics and Power Electronics. Every once in a while you get to come across an impossible challenge. I love solving these challenges with passion.
2. What You Are Good At: Since EV technology is nascent with many diverse areas of application, there are a lot of opportunities for Proactive and Reactive Design Risk management. Both of which I seem to have a knack for. Whether its running a DFMEA design review process or an 8D troubleshooting process, I enjoy them.
3. What the World Needs: EVs play a critical role in the attempts to reverse climate change. Versatility and utility of the EVs beyond the scope of "a means of transportation" have further promoted adoption of these vehicles. Many fields of transportation offer a wide variety of opportunities and this almost guarantees job security.
4. What You Can Be Paid For: Since this is a field in demand and requires crossing a certain threshold of knowledge it ensures some lucrative opportunities through a 3-4 decade span of my career that started in 2012.

As you can see by aligning my career architecting process with the principles of ikigai, I am able to define a field where I could spend my working-years in. Everyday at work seems fulfilling and rewarding; contributing to a more sustainable future while working on exciting and meaningful projects, blending passion, skill, global need, and financial incentives. My Monday 8AMs are hopeful that I am pushing the needle on something relevant and my Friday 5PMs leave me with a sense of accomplishment and contentment.

As I part I hope you can as well find your rewarding career path, your motivation and your Ikigai!