Ikigai is a wonderful concept.

It comes from the Japanese for 'life' and 'worth'.

It's now commonly associated with the diagram below, developed by Andres Zuzunaga as the Purpose Venn Diagram.

It seems like you have to do everything together to achieve a 'successful' Ikigai.

However, the modern western interpretation has adapted it a bit too far and doesn't reflect the original Japanese concept.

Ikigai isn't a framework to find the perfect balance.

A better definition is the worth you find in your life, and how that evolves over time.

You can do something you love and not get paid for it.

You can be paid to do something the world doesn't need.

You can do something you enjoy yet aren't skilled at.

You can even do something you don't really like, only because it supports your family, pays the bills - and that's what's important.

All these things are Ikigai and they are all individual to you.

Takes a bit of pressure off trying to do everything at once, and instead finding value in the things that you do.

I think that's a healthy way to look at a career.