Ikigai- finding your flow at work

Growth on the fast track is exhilarating!

The more we practice, the better we get at our jobs…

And with a good attitude, the rewards keep pouring in.

Then suddenly…

The best member on the team decides to quit.

A brilliant M.T from a prestigious campus…

Hardworking, talented… painstakingly groomed, rewarded.

A priceless resource!

Worse, he isn’t even clear why he’s leaving.

He needs time off, to rethink his career choices.

General counselling in such cases almost never seems to work.

Ikigai : Is the ladder leaning on the right wall?

Understanding the principles of Ikigai may help unravel some complex emotions at work.

A few practical steps derived from this philosophy can help us lean our ladder on the right wall.

What is the meaning of Ikigai?

Ikigai means one’s purpose in life.

Hector Garcia and Francesc Miralles in their book ‘Ikigai- The Japanese Secret to a long and happy life’ beautifully explain this concept.

The Japanese philosophy says everyone has an Ikigai – a purpose in life.

Some have found it while others must look for it within.

Simply put Ikigai could be any of these:

Our favourite intellectual/outdoor/business/leisure/creative/academic activities that we keep going back to.

Something that naturally pulls us, something makes us feel rooted within.

Ikigai : How it can help at work

Ikigai applied in work context is an intersection of 4 elements:

Element 1: What we love doing +

Element 2: What we are good at +

Element 3: What the world needs +

Element 4: What we can get rewarded (paid) for

The sweet spot at the intersection of these 4 elements, is our Ikigai.

Example:

Mr X is a chartered accountant. But accounting doesn’t excite him. It is something he studied to join his family business.

On the other hand, he loves doodling, experimenting with designs.

In this case:

• Element 1, ‘What he loves doing’ is recognized.
• Element 2 is something to work on – as he is not professionally adept at crafting 3d prototypes or related fields.
• Element 3 is validated as the world needs this skill.
• So is Element 4, as there is good money in this field…

Therefore, with Element 2 fixed – that is with adequate training, Mr. X. would likely be pursuing his Ikigai.

Now, he experiences the joy of doing something that he loves.

His learning would be accelerated as he naturally strives to master what he loves.

His productivity would skyrocket, as he enters the Flow state (of highest productivity) easily.

His passion for this job will make it a lucrative career too for him.

What if it is difficult to find ones Ikigai?

Should we bother looking for it?

Yes, say the authors and the Ikigai philosophy.

Success can make us temporarily forget it but soon we will look for it again.

Every individual’s Ikigai may be uniquely different,

• Some may be drawn to number crunching.
• Some to design and then design thinking.
• Some may love people and hence like sales.
• For some innovation could be a natural way of thinking
• Some may like physical jobs, and others- intellectual

Getting closer to our Ikigai, makes work feel meaningful.

It makes giving our very best, that much more natural.

It helps derive greater satisfaction from a job well done.

Further, the Japanese believe that finding one’s Ikigai brings joy, peace and meaning leading to better physical, mental, and spiritual health

Should employers get philosophical with Ikigai?

Yes, the gist of Ikigai applied practically, can render huge long-term benefits.

Here’s what can be done:

1.??? Counsel struggling employees to introspect on topics they love.

2.??? Partner with them to

• Recognize those areas.
• Get them skilled in the chosen ones.
• Craft jobs or find placements internally.

3.??? Help them find their flow:

Flow is when employees are so involved in an activity that they lose track of time. They are rooted in the present and hyper productive. Finishing it gives them a deep sense of achievement.

To promote flow in pursuit of Ikigai , employers must

• Find activities loved by the employee.
• Make it challenging and yet achievable. Easy will be boring while a very difficult one will generate anxiety.
• Define a clear objective, never leave it vague.
• Encourage giving 100% concentration to only that one task, discourage multitasking.
• Encourage meditation and mindfulness that makes it easier to enter flow.

Never confuse flow with pleasure-seeking activities like eating junk, playing games etc

What benefits can employers gain by facilitating flow in the pursuit of Ikigai?

• Soaring employee productivity, creativity from the Flow states.
• Enhanced employee job satisfaction/wellbeing
• Lower attrition and replacement/training costs.
• Employee loyalty and co ownership.

Barring the initial teething issues caused by movement of resources, Ikigai as a tool can be a big win-win for both employers and employees.

Ikigai and the Blue zones

The term Blue zone was first coined by Dan Buettner, a National Geographic explorer and Fellow who identified 5 standout regions with remarkable longevity, vitality and immunity to chronic diseases.

Research found that the locals’ diet, exercise, their purpose in life (Ikigai) and a strong community of friends and family was the secret of their wellness.

Okinawa in Japan has the highest rate- 24 centenarians for every 10,000 residents’ , something way above the global average especially in its Village of Longevity (Ogimi)

‘Ikigai’ as a philosophy thrives on a certain kind of fertile ground.

To nurture this pursuit of Ikigai in the long term , employers or individuals must nurture 8 key foundational concepts

1.??? Practice eating less, eating healthy.

‘Hara Hachi bu’ means eat only till you are 80% full.

• A typical Japanese meal has 5 different plates with small quantities each.
• Okinawa residents consume lesser calories (1785 a day) – very low salt (7gms a day) and almost no sugar (1/3rd as the rest of Japan)
• They consume a variety of fruits and vegetables. They eat less meat/processed food, consume less alcohol.
• San pin cha – a jasmine infused green tea is the main beverage and the shikuwasa (antioxidant packed) the main fruit there.

Drinking green tea substantially reduce free radicals in the body.

Overeating extends digestive processes that accelerate cellular oxidation.

Eating less reduces IGF-1 (insulin like growth factor 1) a protein that is a significant reason for aging.

Moderate calorie restriction helps keep chronic diseases like diabetes, hypertension at bay.

2.??? Practice walking more, moving often:

Residents of Okinawa walk more, move often, soak up the sun while gardening but don’t do any heavy exercises.

Around 30% of them practise Radio Taiso each morning- a 10 minutes focussed stretch and flexibility exercise.

• Sitting for long hours leads to chronic diseases and premature aging.

3.??? Persist with your very best (Ganbaru)

Takumi- the special occupational experts of Japan show an extreme eye for detail.

Ganbaru means persevering to put in your best.

No matter how small the task, give it your very best.

4.??? Build Camaraderie: Build community.

Ichariba chode means treat everyone like a brother even if you haven’t met them.

Yuimaara: Help each other, do teamwork.

Moai: Invest in a similar minded community that gets together often. Moai also has a members corpus to help each other in case of emergencies.

Build synergies and a security net through community building.

5.??? Mindfully stay in the present moment

Ichi-go-ichi-e means this moment exists only now and won’t come again-

A widely used greeting in social circles in Okinawa.

Train employees on mindful awareness on the present moment and not dwell on worries of the past and the future.

6.??? Build resilience as nothing is permanent.

Wabi- sabi means finding beauty in the fleeting moments, in the imperfect world.

It means to surrender to the fact that we cannot control time or the changing world. Hence build resilience with fall back plans.

7.??? Recheck your concept of retirement

Members of Okinawa are actively employed in what they like as long as their health permits – there is no concept of retirement.

The brain remains sharp when it keeps creating new connections.

Interacting with others, learning new skills, being curious all of these help with anti-aging.

8.??? Live mindfully unhurriedly but with a dash of stress

Constant stress is toxic as it can degenerate the mind and body and invite many chronic ailments.

But a little bit of stress helps us finish our tasks on time.

Howard Friedman found that people working optimally with a tiny amount of stress lived way longer than the ones who retired with a relaxed lifestyle.

Residents of Okinawa lived actively and intensely till the very end.

Hope this article put together from the lovely book and below mentioned references is helpful in your journey

References

1.??? Ikigai – the Japanese secret to a long and Happy life

2.??? Tim Tamashiro on Youtube

3.??? Positive Psychology website

4.??? Ikigaitribe website

5.??? Pubmed? PMC8887802