Coaching for Clarity

Coaching purpose and joy

You’ve probably met someone who has joy from living their purpose. Their life may even seem impossible.

But hold on, how can it be: they’ve managed it.

There is a harmony between purpose and joy. One feeds the other.

And it can be achieved.

Ikigai and coaching

The Japanese have the wonderful concept of Ikigai. Translated as “reason to live”, once explored it is somewhat more than first meets the eye.

Your Ikigai is the point where what you love, what you’re good at, what the world needs and will pay for all come together. Two come from you – what you are both good at, as well as passionate about. Two come from the world – what it needs and values.

The coaching of Ikigai, starts with the two elements that come from yourself. Rather than start with what you are good at, it can make more sense to start with what you love. Indeed, exploring the “why” as well as the “what” of this love is the key that unlocks all the other elements.

Simply stated, if you have not already made yourself good at what you love, coaching you to a point where the motivation appears to do so is the tiniest of steps. This creates a competent passion.

What the world needs: coaches?

There’s a really interesting nuance here. Once one’s competent passion is developed, there is a natural bias in seeing the level of need the world ascribes to them. We want to be needed, which creates a bias in our judgement – our bias into believing the world needs our competent passion. Mindfully navigating the truth of this is inherently challenging – herein lies the value of the coach.

The coach can shine the light of objectivity on the assessment of need. The enlightened view can reveal biases. Of course, the coach’s art is finding the right moment to ask the right question in the right way.

For example, “Let’s take a look at that” might be the prelude to “Why do you think that is” – here is the coach seeking to support a client in gaining insight. Once these questions have been posed, my personal preference is to allow silence to do some heavy lifting. Simply holding the silence skillfully can allow clients the space they need to find deeper insights.

Tried and tested

What the world will pay for is only known once tested. This testing does not need to be a multi-million pound launch party. There are ways of testing the market. These can include testing if this competent passion is already available, and what kind of process or fees it attracts. Online and social media searches can reveal these. Beyond that are offers to express interest or even pre-booking.

Not a mythical grail

This is not a search for a myth. A key step in coaching Ikigai is supporting the development of the belief that it is achievable. Case examples can be very powerful. The coach can help navigate any inner tension between the bias of delusion and an imposter mindset.

This balance between delusion in value (bias) and the denial of the possibility (imposter) is absolutely a coachable insight. It has been my experience that many clients have both present in a dynamic ebb and flow. Finding the middle ground is where the harmony resonates.

Coaching Ikigai harmony

Coaching a client to manifest the harmony of all four elements of Ikigai is one of the most meaningful client journeys for a coach to support.

Personally, this allows me to be consistent with my three core principles.

#Consistently authentic

#Of Service

#With gratitude