The Four Circles

The popular Western model presents ikigai as the overlap of four questions. Your sweet spot sits where all four answers meet.

What do you love? What activities make time disappear? Notice the things you would happily do even if no one were watching.

What are you good at? Where do your skills and talents lie? What does the world need? What problems can you help solve? What can you be paid for? How does this connect to your livelihood?

The magic supposedly happens where all four circles overlap. But in Japan, ikigai is often humbler than this — it rarely demands that your purpose also pay the bills.