By: Grace Steinhagen (2025 Dot Ambassador)

We spend a huge portion of our lives working. Some estimates say nearly a third of our lives, so we might as well make our work something that we love.

Earlier this year, I hit a moment in my career where I knew my job was no longer serving me or bringing me joy. It wasn’t that I didn’t have skills or that I didn’t like the people I worked with. It was that my work no longer sparked excitement, growth, or purpose in my life.

That’s when I decided to get curious. I started asking questions: What truly lights me up? What drains me? What kind of impact do I want to make? I reached out to others, sought advice, and explored paths that felt aligned with my values and strengths.

This journey wasn’t about instant clarity or having a perfect plan. It was about paying attention, reflecting, and taking steps toward work that felt meaningful. Along the way, one exercise in particular helped me see things in a new light: Ikigai (ee-key-guy).

​​What is Ikigai?

Ikigai is the Japanese concept of finding your reason for being. It’s the sweet spot where passion, purpose, and practical life intersect: 

1. What you love: the things that make your heart light up.
2. What you’re good at: your strengths and skills you enjoy using.
3. What the world needs: ways you can contribute or make an impact.
4. What you can be paid for: work that sustains you financially.

When these four areas overlap, you’ve found your Ikigai. 

Here’s the best part: it doesn’t have to happen all at once, and it’s okay if it evolves over time. For me, thinking about my last role through this lens helped me realize which pieces were missing and where I wanted to go next.

Let’s Walk Through Ikigai Together

The goal isn’t to have a perfect answer right away. It’s about exploring, reflecting, and noticing patterns in what matters to you. Jot your thoughts down while we go through this together. 

1. What You Love
These are the things that make your heart light up, the activities that make time fly.

• What activities, projects, or moments make me feel energized and fully alive?
• When was the last time I felt truly excited about what I was doing?

2. What You’re Good At
Your natural strengths, skills you enjoy using, or talents you’ve developed over time.

• What are three things I do well that I genuinely enjoy doing?
• What skills or strengths do others often compliment me on?

3. What the World Needs
How you can contribute, help others, or make an impact (big or small).

• What problems or needs in the world make me feel compelled to act?
• Where do I feel like my efforts could truly make a difference?

4. What You Can Be Paid For
Work that sustains you financially while allowing you to use your talents and passions.

• What work or roles align with my skills and can provide stability?
• How could I take what I love and what I’m good at and create value for others?

When you reflect on these four areas, patterns often start to emerge. You might notice overlaps between what you love and what you’re good at, or where your skills could meet a need in the world. That’s your starting point—your own unique Ikigai.

My Journey Toward Work I Love

For me, reflecting through Ikigai made it clear which pieces were missing in my last role: the excitement, the growth, and the sense of purpose. Once I knew what I wanted more of, I started exploring opportunities that aligned with my values and strengths. I asked questions, networked, and took small steps toward a role that felt energizing and meaningful.

It wasn’t instant, and it wasn’t perfect but every step brought me closer to understanding what I truly wanted in my work. Your first job or even your current role might not be your dream job, and that’s completely okay. Each experience is a clue, showing you what excites you, what energizes you, and what doesn’t. The key is to pay attention, take small steps, and keep moving toward the work that makes you feel alive.

Your Work Can Be a Source of Joy

Finding work you love isn’t about having it all figured out. It’s about noticing what fuels you, experimenting, and moving towards alignment, step by step. The beauty of this process is, your Ikigai might evolve. The important part is showing up and letting your curiosity guide you toward work that feels meaningful and maybe even a little magical.