In life we will have our ups and downs, but what keeps us going forward is our own personal north star. Right now I have been struggling, as I felt disillusioned from what I thought was my purpose in life.

What a better time to write this post, than when I am feeling it myself. Then explaining how I am getting myself out/got myself out of the feeling of being lost. Your purpose is your Ikigai in life.

Why is it important?

Without purpose we are nothing. Simply hosts in a shell without any direction to go. You could call it divine guidance, or maybe you're a bit more like me and lean towards the Taoist universe flow. In either case, or maybe even your own agnostic point of view. The point is that you have something pushing you towards a goal, and something pulling you ever faster towards it.

How do you try and find it?

Curiosity often helps.

Some of us know it from a young age, like something sitting in the back of your brain just waiting to come out. Other people take longer for that fog to clear.

In either case we have find it over and over, again for some it is easier than others, but I do like to think of it like a muscle. Something you need to train.

With all the external factors at play in our life, we tend to lose sight of that purpose. We may even fall off track, or take a whole other train entirely, and it is up to us (and only us) to get ourselves back on track when we lose it.

Whether you are finding it for the first time, or rediscovering it like myself, there are three important things to meditate on.

  1. What do you want to come out of your life in the end? (What would be your impact on the world.)
  2. Do you know what mountains to climb to get there? (Is college your route, or self-education? Both?)
  3. Is it internal drive, or external drive, that is bringing you forward in life? (How can you use both push and pull.)

What is an Ikigai?

It is the cross-section of the four potential paths ahead of you. Each path represents a part of your life careers, and why you would do them. What is your passion, your mission, a profession, or your vocation.

Then when you cross-pollinate them, then you find careers that you are more aligned with. As they are more purposeful in your existence/life.

When you are able to bring them ALL together, into one career, then that is what you would consider your Ikigai, your reason for Being.

Reason for Being

I'm good at teaching, I love creating content, I can get paid for my online work (at least eventually), and the world needs information on various topics. This is why I felt that Polymathy was going to be one of my main topics, as I thought the world needed to be pushed towards a generalist society.

For me whenever I think about what I want to do with my life, no matter where it starts, it always somehow ends up with something to do with content creation. I could have a vocation or profession where I am a doctor, and I think if I went down that path, then I would have been good at it. However I'd still end up writing a book, or maybe following the trajectory of someone like Ali Abdaal.

My point is that I think content is my reason for being, and I wanted you to see that example. In hopes you can find something like that for yourself.

Quarterly Life Alignment

I started out with the Four Pillars philosophy as my big picture explanation of what areas of life needed to be worked on. Then Ikigai came into the picture, and I realized that they too are important. However there was very little overlap, and while some people would add like a financial or social pillar to their version. It quickly became apparent that all eight practices were needed.

  • Mind
  • Body
  • Spirit
  • Emotions
  • Vocation
  • Profession
  • Passion
  • Mission

It is my belief that you should consider these on all layers of the PIOS system, for those who are unaware: the Polymath Integration Operating System is my modus operandi I made in Obsidian to organize my life.

The layers consider of Yearly, Quarterly, Monthly, Weekly, and Daily. While I anchor the Four Pillars and Ikigai to the quarterly later for alignment purposes. I think they have a place in all of the layers.

Let's focus on making sure that at least 4 times a year you reflect on whether or not your actions are aligned with your reason for being, and if they are helping your areas of life.

Finding Your Purpose

In the end this is a journey I cannot be on with you for, and you must discover the reason for being yourself. That will lead you to your purpose in the end. Sometimes by reflecting on what your four major aspects of life are like: your mind, body, spirit, and emotions. Then you are able to see something that you are missing.

Use this post, the tag alongside the post, and this music below to help meditate on what your personal life purpose is. Let your own mind guide you to where you need to be.