IKIGAI: Four Critical Questions of Career Education

TARGET GROUP

Teenagers and young adults

TIME NEEDED

1,5 hours

EXPLANATION

Ikigai is a Japanese concept that means “a reason for being”. The word refers to having a direction or purpose in life, which makes one’s life worthwhile, and towards which an individual takes spontaneous and willing actions giving them satisfaction and a sense of the meaning of life.

According to this theory, each individual is supposed to have Their own personal Ikigai which should be the result of an individual’s thoughtful answer to four essential questions:

• What do you love?
• What are you good at?
• What can you be paid for?
• What the world needs?

It is pretty challenging to find a job or profession where all questions will be answered positively and meet all four criteria mentioned above.

However, it is still essential that the individuals know their answers to these questions and do not make a judgement about different jobs based on just one or two of these questions. In various settings, specific issues are often neglected (for example, the issue of earning money is essential, while others are not).

IMPLEMENTATION

Introduction to the session (10 min)

Icebreaker.

Presentation of the aim of the session.

Forming four groups of an equal number of participants.

IKIGAI (55 min)

Using IKIGAI tool, participants answer four critical questions about their ideal job. They also “feel the difference” between the concepts of passion, mission, vocation and profession.

4 corners of the room are decorated as the 4 “circles” of IKIGAI (see Theoretical Background for explanation). Possible symbols:

• 20€ cash (= what makes money)
• Chocolate (what you love)
• Diploma (what you are good at)
• Pictures of poverty, ecological disasters etc. (what the world needs)

4 groups visit each corner, being appx. 12 minutes there. Followed by the rotation in a clockwise direction.

Questions for reflection on one of the topics are prepared in every corner. Group members are encouraged to give positive feedback to each other.

Presentation of the concept (10 min)

Presentation of the IKIGAI concept by the trainer.

Debriefing (15 min)

Debriefing of the session.

Possible starting questions:

• Which of the four questions surprised you the most?
• Attention to which question did you already “bring from your family”?
• Is it necessary to find balance among these four questions, or do they have any hierarchy in your career education?

LIST OF MATERIALS

• Papers /notebooks,
• pens, colour pens, markers.