In the time-based system that is the 🧠 PIOS Omni-Brain, there is one layer that we haven't talked about as much. That being the "Quarterly" layer, focusing on life alignment through both your "Ikigai", as well as your "Four Pillars". Each having four areas of importance.

Now for Ikigai there is a popular venn diagram, but it is more of a popularized version of the concept. On paper it is these four areas, but in practice it is more about your actual reason to get up in the morning. What your purpose in life truly is, and sometimes you may not know. That is okay, but it is your job to find out.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ikigai

Next up are the Four Pillars, which are the four major areas of your life. From your mental, to your physical, etc.

This is the logo I commissioned for the concept, as I wanted to make more content around it. Also showcasing how interlinked they are to each other.
Don't worry we'll get into each of the areas in this post!

What are the Four Areas to Ikigai?

Each culminate into what is essentially your "reason for being", what makes you valuable as a human being. Not only to the world, but also to yourself. Both are crucial. Each area manifests in different ways too.

Profession

Doing what you are good at doing, and hopefully it is something you can be paid for. For me teaching swim lessons is definitely in that lane, where I was good at teaching, and I got paid rather well. It does rather sort of overlap with Passion, as I was very much inclined towards teaching.

Your profession is a great way to make money, but it won't make you feel fulfilled.

Vocation

Again what you can be paid for, but you may not enjoy doing it. However sometimes the drive towards doing something great for the world. An altruistic goal, is something that can be worth doing.

This is different than a mission however, as you more than likely don't enjoy doing the job.

Passion

You enjoy doing this, you're good at doing it, and if you could then you would keep doing it. Unfortunately it doesn't pay the bills, and we live in a capitalistic society.

Alternatively, you could doing your passion alongside a vocation. Doing two things, so that you're fulfilled, and your bills are paid.

Mission

Also something you enjoy doing, and this happens to be aligned with what the world needs.

This can be a great thing, and sometimes your bills might be subsidized if you are doing something akin to research or other things like that.

🌟 Ikigai and Focus - Official Website for Dustin Miller PolyInnovator [LLC]
Your IKIGAI is your reason for being, and I created PolyInnovator as the foundation for my own. Since this concept has such deep roots in my work. I thought it prudent to create a tag for it, as I often make at least one post a year relating to it. - Overall Focus I have come to understand is a byproduct of IKIGAI, and if you are not aligned with one of the four quadrants (let alone all of them), then you will fail to be focused. Posts might be on 1 or the other, or both.
Official Website for Dustin Miller PolyInnovator [LLC]Dustin Miller | PolyInnovator

What are the Four Pillars?

Each of these are a major area of life, that every single person has to account for, and a lot of us are missing out on one of them at all times. Each person is different, and as we are growing up we usually anchor to one of them.

Think of the polymath, someone with 3 or more areas of specialization, they more than likely didn't just appear one day as an expert in all their fields. They started with one, and then branched out from there. The Four Pillars are the same way, the anchor pillar got you started on self-development.

When you build up one Pillar, it can bring up the others too, but if one Pillar weakens it will drag the other ones down. Think about if you get sick, it will weaken your body pillar, and the rest are going to follow suit.

Mind

To keep it simple - its just learning. Training your brain to know and do more. If you learn something new you generate the new connections and neuro-plasticity.

The Modular Degree is what I use for this purpose.

Body

Your exercise, nutrition, and overall health. You can't control sickness, but you can improve your body day by day.

There is a strong connection between the body and mind pillars too when you workout. One could say each pillar has their own connection to each other pillar as well.

Spirit

Spirituality goes beyond religion, although for a lot of people their religious beliefs are the only spiritual development they do. I personally think that is a limited approach, its like only doing cardio in the gym skipping the strength training.

Learning from multiple cultures, religions, meditative practices, that is keep to spiritual alignment. Regardless of what your personal belief system is.

Emotions

Probably the most misunderstood pillar of the bunch, and often replaced with "social" pillar in a lot of alternative philosophies. However I think that this one is crucial for the other three to work.

EQ - Emotional Intelligence is more than just understanding people (social), it is also about understanding yourself (self-awareness). Both are imperative to living a strong and wealthy life, but most people lack one or the other. Worse, they lack both. Introspection is key to spiritual meditation.

⚖️ Self-Development - Four Pillars Philosophy - Official Website for Dustin Miller PolyInnovator [LLC]
Self-Development is the exponential catalyst to your success in life. The Four Pillars philosophy is a Self-Development concept I created out of over a decade of introspection and philosophy research. There are four major aspects of life one must take care of, and maintain the balance between each of them. BODY | MIND | SPIRIT | EMOTIONS
Official Website for Dustin Miller PolyInnovator [LLC]Dustin Miller | PolyInnovator
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Now technically through all eight areas mentioned above, there technically will be overlap with the areas of socialization, or finances. However I did not feel that they quite fit into the model presented.

How do you develop them?

Each area and pillar often have an individual pathway you can work on. I.e. a gym workout routine for the body pillar. However if you think of them only unilaterally, then you are leaving potential growth, and synchronization on the table.

These are just a handful of examples that will get your brain going on how you can plan out working on different areas.

Learning for the Mind Pillar leads into a Profession

The more you learn about a subject, the more you can teach it to others (showing your understanding then), the more you are able to then go and do that professionally. Now it stands to reason some jobs may require a degree, but not everything does. In fact a lot of jobs that "require" the piece of paper, don't always have a hard cut off, and if you know the right person you can get your foot in the door. Half of my jobs I've ever had were because of this.

If there is something you want to do, learn it, then show that you have the knowledge.

Understanding your Emotions Pillar leads into a Mission

Understanding yourself is key like I said in a previous section, and the more you look within the more you understand about what you want to do in life. Not a full Ikigai, but just a mission that drives you forward.

In life sometimes we are pulled towards something, and other times we push ourselves towards it.

Your emotional regulation helps to know when it is a pull or push kind of time.

When your Body and Mind are aligned it leads to a Passion

When you are physically excited about doing something, it will bring your mind to new heights. Your brain also has the power to overturn what the body feels, such as if you think you are doing with an exercise. However you really had more reserved in the tank.

When your mind gets excited, and your body as well, then it is something you are passionate about doing.

Sometimes due to the hierarchy of needs, if the Body is needs a baseline it will lead to a Vocation.

Depending on how desperate you are for food or rent, it will drive you to working a vocational job, or just something that pays the bills.

You may or may not like it, more than likely won't, but at times we just need an income source. This is not good or bad, just matter of fact!

What is next?

This is why I believe doing quarterly notes in the 🧠 PIOS Omni-Brain = Knowledge Management, is so important as it leads you to keeping track of your year. Not to mention your habits and plans will trickle down from quarterly to monthly/weekly/daily.

Using a knowledge management framework to help keep track of the more esoteric life philosophies. You can't write it all down, but the more you do then the easier it becomes.

I.e. Tracking your workouts for the body pillar, or the Modular Degree self-learning for your mind pillar, etc.