Many times, we mistake "what you are good at" and "what you love" to be the same.
"What you are good at" comes from years of deliberate practice. These years of investment need not necessarily be self-driven. It could be due to parental pressure, peer influence, society's expectations, deep-seated insecurities, or simply due to the sheer amount of time and effort you had invested in the same.
As you invest this time consistently, there are chances that "what you are good at" eventually turns into "what you love". A concept that Cal Newport shared in his book "So good they can't ignore you".
There is also another angle to it.
Though you might be doing what you are good at, there is a sense of emptiness or lack of satisfaction in what you do. After a point of time, putting in the required time feels so draining and exhausting, though it might now take lesser time than what you used to in the initial days.
Another overlooked fact is this unexpected twist - in our life's journey, as a flash of lightning, you stumble upon "what you love" that is totally unrelated to "what you are good at". Once that insight strikes you, you are no longer the same person. You experience sheer joy, satisfaction, and a sense of purpose that is beyond yourself.
As much as you try and convince yourself that you should be pursuing "what you are good at", the more you force yourself, the more that emptiness turns into despair.
Why don't you pursue both?
The analytical and logical minds (ours as well as people whom we seek advice from) might nudge you to keep a foot on both doors. It isn't a "peaceful" option, given the amount of mental load to balance on all fronts.
That's why identifying your "Ikigai" where all 4 criteria are met isn't an easy task.
2 - possible,
3 - manageable
but getting to all 4 - is such a challenge.
Have you found your Ikigai?
Posts
