The intersection between work and the rest of their life is their Ikigai. Ikigai is a Japanese concept meaning “a reason for being.” It is discovered in the center of what you love, what the world needs, what you can be rewarded for, and what you are good at. It combines these four areas: passion, mission, profession, and vocation. For many, it’s the reason for getting up in the morning.
While most people are busy optimizing their lives for safety and certainty, successful risk-takers realize that the biggest risk isn’t even “risk” itself. The greatest risk of all lies in inaction. They understand the cost of doing nothing. They know that they stand to lose more by avoiding risk, because it guarantees they won’t move forward. It guarantees they won’t grow. The funny thing is, most students and alumni I talk to say they want to grow. Isn’t the point of designing our lives about growth?
As you progress through the process of designing your life, keep in mind that designing your career is parallel to designing your life. Create your career bucket list, then create your life bucket list. Compare them side by side and look for the overlap. Prioritize them based on what’s realistic. Then rewrite it as one, a Career and Life Bucket List.
