Ikigai Discovery: 6 weeks to overcome AI job threats

Discover how the Ikigai framework can guide your reflections to overcome AI challenges effectively in six weeks.

IS AI THREATENING YOUR JOB?

Are you in your early twenties? Just graduating and find that your degree is not as worthwhile as you had imagined when you enrolled.

There is so much noise about AI taking away jobs with fresh graduates facing the maximum pressure. Imagine, you study for a degree for 3 to 5 years to find that the jobs in this area are vanishing fast with AI.

Panic sets in. What next? How do you earn your bread and butter?

Pause your thoughts. Take ten deep breaths, because you can’t think clearly when you panic.

Yes, this can be a massive disruption in your life. But you can take a step wise thoughtful approach to understand, reassess your work and align incrementally.

First step, face it squarely. Either your role is going to be completely done by AI, or it is going to adapt to include AI and change accordingly.

So you could be facing two situations. One, you find you don’t have a job for much longer or your placements seem bleak.

Two, you have a job that is open for a redesign due to the impact of AI soon.

Now, in both cases you need to revisit your skills and mindset after a deep reflection.

The next question is, “What do you reflect on?” Here the Ikigai framework is very helpful.

USING THE IKIGAI FRAMEWORK TO REDEFINE YOUR WORK:

At LifeVidya we believe that when the world outside is changing very fast, it is essential to “go within” and anchor on what is your truth within. We have found this philosophy very empowering and has changed the trajectory of hundreds of clients we have worked with.

Sounds idealistic? Try it so this idealism becomes realism for you!

With a little effort we can make your life more conscious and revolving around your own ikigai.

Sharing below five prompts you need to repeat for a period of 5 weeks so you have an organically evolved answer for yourself.

Remember, don’t negate anything, don’t judge yourself. The world is shifting from the values and preferences of white-collar workers. So, what was valued or esteemed earlier may shift significantly in the future. So be very spontaneous and embrace every idea that emerges from within you.

As you can see the ikigai framework is a very useful tool to apply in such disruptive times. This helps you go deeper within yourself as you apply yourself to your outer world.

1. Week 1: What do I feel are my strengths or talents?
   • Write one or more strength or talent every day for five days. It could be as varied as being helpful to strangers to making lucid client presentations. Spend five minutes everyday before you sleep to reflect on your strengths and become very conscious of how you progress through the day so you can reflect with honesty and spontaneity.
2. Week 2: What do others seek my help or assistance for? What do they feel are my talents or strengths?
   • Think and reflect and note down one or more aspects every day for five days. Clues to these are compliments others give you, favours others ask of you, you can even ask a few trusted friends to become your mirror and share their understanding of your strengths and talents.
3. Week 3: What makes me feel fulfilled and complete?
   • Something that you do, share or give that gives you a sense of deep fulfilment? Write as many as you can over a few days. These are closely connected to what your passion or purpose may be in life. For instance, helping an elderly use technology, nurturing your garden etc are acts that may be very fulfilling.
4. Week 4: Make a venn diagram with the answers you have written for all the weeks. See the picture below for reference. This gives you a good idea of you when viewed from the Ikigai framework.
   • Check if there are specific overlaps or ideas that emerge from this
   • Concentrate on the diagram and sleep with the question, “how do I pivot or make multiple income streams?”
5. Week 5: Start asking yourself, what would it take to try monetising any of the above three?
   • Think of conventional and “out of the box” ways to monetise your strengths, talents and the things you do with joy? For instance, fitness enthusiasts weren’t an accepted profession earlier, now many professionals you know have a fitness coach or instructor. Similarly, the rise of home chefs shows how a talent that previously stayed within the homes has empowered many women.
   • Write a paragraph with a vision statement and one or two operational details of how you will craft a business around the same
6. Week 6: Once you have found one small or big idea that you want to try monetising, start conversing with yourself on your mindset
   1. Which thoughts help? Which thoughts hinder? Are you discarding a few strengths and talents as useless based on the career trajectories and values people have today?Are you expecting quick wins for what is essentially organic?
   1. Are you stuck in the cycle of constant comparison with others or older versions of yourself?

At LifeVidya we engage with professionals who want to revisit their work and align within. Contact us for more information.

To understand how one of our clients pursued her Ikigai alongside a corporate job, see A young professional shares her journey of finding and pursuing her Ikigai

To explore how a seasoned designer pursued her passion over the years, see Interior Design Careers: An Introduction

To reflect and redefine your own definition of success, see 5 Questions to Define Your Path to Achievement

The writer is an applied and organisational psychologist who has pivoted her life and work a few times to adapt to the environment. You can reach her at info@lifevidya.com