Ikigai Worksheet and Purpose Printables

1. Write about how you feel. Try journaling with a pen and paper, or grab your laptop and start writing. Write about how you truly feel and what you want out of life. Remember that no one is going to read this other than you, so don’t be afraid to express your thoughts.

* Go back and reread your entries every so often. Many times this process can bring you new realizations that you didn’t think of when you were writing it in the first place.

2. Pursue your passions. If you’re passionate about a particular subject, maybe you can make a career or hobby out of it so that you can engage in activities that are personally meaningful to you. This way, each day of your life will feel like it matters, and you will have an ikigai life purpose.

3. Consider your talents. Think about the areas in which you naturally excel and see if you can turn these skills into something meaningful for you.

* Many people are drawn to a life purpose that makes them feel like they’re making a real difference in the lives of other people. You may find it fulfilling to be using something you’re good at to help others in need.

* For example, if you find that you’re good at comforting people, perhaps you can consider a career as a counselor.

4. Converse with inspiring people. Strike up a conversation with someone who inspires you. While you might not be interested in the same things, you can talk about how they discovered their ikigai. Their triumphs and struggles will make good lessons for you in your journey to your purpose.

5. What brings you joy? Reflect on the moments in your life when you’re most happy. What are you doing at these times? You can start the quest for your life purpose by using what already makes you happy.

* Maybe you’re most happy when you’re just sitting at home with your family. That’s a beautiful gift!

* Remember that you’re not necessarily searching for something exotic! After all, your ikigai may already be under your nose.

6. Embrace change. Sometimes the thing that holds you back from self-discovery is a fear of change. There’s comfort and safety in not taking risks, but you also may never discover your life’s true purpose. Learn to embrace change because life is constantly changing around you.

7. Uphold your values. Everyone has a set of values that they tend to adhere to in life. You can use your values as a starting point to discovering your life purpose. Make a list of your values with your most important ones at the top. Think about what you can do to honor those values in life every day, and you may find your purpose.

8. Exploring the world around you is a great way to discover your ikigai purpose or passion.

Whether you’re reading new books, exploring parts of your city you’ve never been to, or talking to people you’ve never met, you’ll discover new things about yourself, learn more about your surroundings, and experience new adventures.

New experiences have a lot to offer. They get you out of the same old mindset and into one where you have more passion and interest in the world. New encounters encourage you to try new things, develop new skill sets, and find out what you excel at.

* You can find purpose in the strangest places, so don’t rule out any activity. After all, if you try something and don’t like it, you don’t have to go back to it.

9. Who are your heroes? Think about those you respect and admire. Consider people you know personally, people you know of, and people from history. What do they have in common? What traits or experiences do these people have that you’d like to see in yourself?

* Your true-self is closely aligned with those you hold in high regard.

10. Define the person you want to be. Life isn’t only about accomplishments and accumulating a list of impressive possessions. Life is also about the person you become and your contributions. Consider all the roles you might fill over your lifetime and define your ideal person for each of these roles:

• Student
• Spouse
• Grandparent
• Parent
• Employee
• Employer
• Boss
• Friend

11. Imagine you’re 80-years old and only have a month left to live. Look back on your life. What would you like to look back on? What do you want to be able to remember? Making a million dollars? Climbing Mount Everest? Starting a charity? Having happy, successful children?

* Start with the end in mind. Then you can create a path to reach that destination.

12. List your strengths, talents, and loves. What are you good at? Make a list of your natural talents and those areas where you’ve developed the most skill. Include the things you love to do, whether you’re good at them or not.

* If your mission statement can include or leverage your skills and talents, you’ll be able to accomplish more.

* By including the things that you love to do, you’ll have a lot more fun!

13. Create a list of ikigai and purposes. Define the overall theme of your life and list the things that you want to accomplish in your life. Create a mission statement that incorporates all of these things into a central idea. It might require a couple of paragraphs to capture. These could be thought of as vague goals, such as:

• Alleviate the suffering of others.
• Fearlessly try new things and visit new places.
• Make a living in the field of music.
• Be a supportive and loving parent.
• Be grateful for all the experiences that enter my life.
• Be a committed life-long learner.

14. Set concrete goals that support your purposes. Set goals that will ensure that living your purpose is guaranteed. For example, what are some goals that might turn you into a supportive and loving parent?

• Resolve issues from my childhood.
• Read and apply a book on being more patient.
• Get involved at my child’s school by volunteering.
• Read to my child each night.
• Tell my child, “I love you.” at least twice each day.

Finding your ikigai purpose in life may not be as hard as you think. Use these strategies on your journey, and one day soon, you’ll realize that you’ve found the one feature of your life that makes everything worthwhile.

It’s essential to have a purpose because that purpose will allow you to feel happy and give you a reason to get out of bed every day. It will keep you moving, active, and healthy.

Your special purpose doesn’t necessarily have to be a career; it could be a hobby or charitable cause. Some people can pursue their passion when they’re not working, because some passions may not make the best careers. For example, there are a few highly paid stamp collectors. The ideal, of course, is to turn your life’s passion into a full-time career. No matter what you’re doing, if you don’t love it, you need to find something else to pursue.

It’s having passions, and the perseverance to pursue them, that makes us stars. If you’ve been feeling like your life is empty, it’s time to fill it with some passion!

Download our ikigai worksheet printables now to help you find your ikigai and life purpose today!

Love, 

Ashley Yeo