A Guide to Finding Your Ikigai (Life Purpose) with Google Gemini
By Matthew Squire
What is Google’s Gemini AI?
Gemini is an advanced AI chat model that can mimic how humans understand and respond to human language. The latest release of Gemini Pro, which enhances Gemini, has basic reasoning capabilities that help it respond more appropriately. It would take a much more in-depth article to explain exactly how Gemini works, but in this article, I will explain how to use Gemini to spot career-related and life-related patterns in your values that will lead to a better, more purposeful life.
What do you mean by Ikigai?
Ikigai is a nebulous and abstract concept that will probably be best found in the minds of Okinawans in Japan more than in an artificial chatbot. Most Western misconceptions of ikigai are too focused on how to get joy, purpose, and compensation from careers. Traditional Ikigai as I understand it could be not lucrative such as making an exceptional cup of tea for a friend or enjoying a fine pottery collection. I want to set expectations for this article as you will find it balances making money as well as seeking purpose in your work.
More specifically, Ikigai in this sense means Life-Purpose. Already we see that money doesn’t have to be the primary purpose. That being said following the steps in the article will cause Gemini to consider four things. Your passions and what you love. Your skillset as it exists now. The desires and needs of your community, specifically how you might fulfill them. Finally, how you might be well compensated for fulfilling these needs while enjoying work. This is a career-based approach. Later in another article, I will discuss how to tweak the approach to get a more authentic Ikigai result.
How Will Gemini Be Used?
Using a Chat AI tool to find your life’s purpose might seem futuristic or even incongruous with natural personal growth. Nonetheless, the idea of using computers to help people find purpose or for career exploration has been an idea for as long as computers have existed. There has always been and likely always will be a need for people who specialize in coaching to give personalized advice and the coaching tools change over time to make everyone’s lives easier.
The philosophy and style that coaches use is also going to change. While balancing what you love doing with what you are good at is a basic strategy. The framework of Ikigai takes this to a whole new level by adding two external influences. The first is what the world needs from you. The second is what the world is willing to pay you to do.
Analyzing potential impact on the whole world used to be a daunting task that few would hope to achieve. Now, with the help of large data sets and AI trained on them, we can create a starting list of things to consider for our Ikigai careers and much more. In this article I am going to discuss how to use Gemini to find patterns and think about your life’s purpose or Ikigai, using Ikigai techniques as I understand them.
Step 1: Setting the Stage for Self-Discovery
First, you will need a quiet place, maybe put on some of your favorite music or videos for inspiration, or perhaps better no distractions, it’s up to you. At this point in the process, Ikigai is very introspective. If you are like me you will want to avoid disruptions. It could take several hours to complete this exercise so doing so in one sitting might not be the best option.
It’s important to remember that introspection is a process that requires some self-awareness. Feelings and thoughts both negative and positive might come up. It’s important to remember that the process is a positive one and is going to help you find purpose in your life’s work.
It’s important to remember that Gemini is as experimental as it is a powerful technology. Gemini will help you if you are prepared to be inquisitive about its results. You will be putting lists and answers to questions into the chat with Gemini in addition to questions about the Ikigai process that Gemini can answer. Remember that what you put into Gemini could be audited later so avoid putting personal information like sensitive names and numbers.
It’s important to communicate with Gemini. When you ask Gemini to do something you can ask it to withhold its answer and just listen and reply with what it thinks you want. This active listening will help you establish clear intentions and get more accurate results. Part of the difficulty is knowing what Gemini is prompted to do. I have tried to make the prompts in this article accurate, but Gemini changes with every new build of its model and even a tiny difference will affect the output.
Step 2: Delving into Your Passions
I once created a list of possible career options before I first started thinking about my software career 10 years ago. I generated a “101 Careers” list in a spreadsheet that I still have to this day. It was just a big brainstorm of all the possible jobs that I could do. But as I wrote I soon found patterns emerged. Soon long chains of career paths started to develop as I manipulated the lists. Now, AI that generates content like Gemini can help you fill your list but also spot patterns as I did in my 101 careers exercise.
The first thing that we will do is have Gemini generate a list of questions to consider for your list. Ask Gemini:
I am using Ikigai to discover my life’s purpose. I am focusing on questions to determine what I love to do. I eventually want a big list of things that I love doing. Can you suggest questions for me to determine what I love?
Answer the questions by creating a list as if ending the prompt, “I love X.” Where X is “petting dogs,” or “using computers,” etc. You should end up with a list of fifty or more “I love…” statements. The more statements you have to prompt Gemini with more interests and values for it to consider when matching you up with potential Ikigai. The next prompt is:
I am going to send you a list of things that I love in the next prompt. I want you to add “I love” at the beginning of each to form a sentence. I want you to keep the list for later. This list is called “Things that I love.”
In the next prompt input the list of things you love omitting the “I love” part at the beginning. If you wrote all of your statements with the “I love” part already at the beginning you can omit the second sentence of the prompt.
Step 3: Recognizing Your Skills and Strengths
Next, we are going to populate the Skills and Strengths list for Ikigai. Here is where it gets interesting, if you have an updated resume around go ahead and send it to Gemini, but leave out any sensitive information like your name, address, or phone number. Then we submit it with the prompt:
Now I am moving on to the skills and strengths section of Ikigai. I am going to send you my resume. I want you to read it and come up with a list of my skills and strengths mentioned in the resume. I want each strength or skill to be listed with “I am good at “ listed before them to make a list of sentences.
Here is where you input your resume without the personal identifying data. Gemini should print a list of skills that should seem fairly familiar to you. Be sure to check its output for inaccuracies. You can correct it by simply typing, “I am not that good at X” where X is the skill or strength in question. Next, we are going to have Gemini generate some questions to contemplate regarding our skills and strengths.
Now I am continuing on the skills and strengths section of Ikigai. I want you to generate questions to determine what skills and strengths I have.
Think about the questions and create a list of skills and strengths that fit the sentence:
“One of my skills or strengths is…”
Again omitting the first part of the sentences you should create a list using the suggested questions and anything else that might come to mind.
By now you should have quite the list of skills and strengths. Remember skills can be anything. They don’t have to be marketable right away. They can be tech, soft, or other skills and strengths. They could even be skills that you know you acquire in the next three months or so like if you are working on a certification or class. Let’s go ahead and input the current skills and strengths list into Gemini. First, we need a prompt:
I am going to send you a list of things that I have a strength in or that I am skilled at in the next prompt. I want you to add “One of my skills or strengths is” at the beginning of each to form a sentence. I want you to keep the list for later. This list is called “Things that I am skilled at.”
Then input the skills and strengths list into Gemini.
Step 4: Aligning with Community Needs
In the future, I plan on writing an article on how to tweak the statement below to match your philosophical outlook. As of right now, the statement below considers the writings of influential thinkers. If you would like to see which thinkers were chosen you could start a conversation with Gemini such as:
I would like it if you list the world’s foremost Writers, Scientists, Theologians, Futurists, and Philosophers.
If you have any issues with this list you might ask Gemini to omit that thinker or provide a list of thinkers yourself. The thinker needs to have written works in their name or otherwise have written works that Gemini has access to.
The next thing that we can do is move on to positive community impact. This might also be called “What does the world need… from me.”
Now I am moving on to the section of Ikigai where I find out what the world needs from me. I would like it if you consider the writings of the world’s foremost Writers, Scientists, Theologians, Futurists, and Philosophers to generate some questions for me to answer about what the world needs from me now and in the future.
Using the questions consider any of the world’s needs that solving would appeal to you. In this way make a Fourth list. This time satisfying the sentence, “Something the world needs from me is…” Remember, all the lists are going to pay off at the end. It’s time to enter the fourth list into Gemini.
I am going to send you a list. I want you to add “Something the world needs from me is” before each item in the list to make sentences. I want you to save this list as “Somethings the world needs from my list.”
Step 5: Evaluating Financial Aspects While Making a Positive Impact
The last part of the process of our Ikigai exploration is to consider which of the thousands of things our AI generator can come up with that will help us make a living.
The prompt could look like this.
Ikigai consists of a harmony between four aspects of a career. Using the “Things that I love list” as the first part of Ikigai. Then use the “Things that I am skilled at list.” as the second part of Ikigai. Then for the third part of Ikigai, use the “Somethings the world needs from me” list. I then want you to use data for possible careers to form a list for the fourth part. I want the highest paying first. Please print ten.
Now, it’s worth mentioning that not everyone will want the highest pay. One can tweak this prompt by modifying the second to last sentence. Here are some ideas:
I want a career that provides the best work-life balance.
I want a career that can be done from home.
I want a career where I can make $50,000 a year and get outdoors.
The possibilities are endless and you can string statements together to add more detail to your search. If the list that results isn’t to your liking simply rewrite the prompt or have a conversation with Gemini about what’s wrong. It is first and foremost a chatbot. Be as specific as possible.
Another tip is to have Gemini ask you more questions with Ikigai in mind which will help it answer prior questions. Gemini knows a lot about you and your goals by now and can help further with the right prompts.
Step 6: Seeking Feedback and Guidance
To get the most out of Gemini and Ikigai I would recommend an exercise like this to be done regularly. I would also save the outputs that you find valuable as Gemini’s output will change from day to day, perhaps moment to moment. This is because the engine that it uses to search online and its build changes. For more information on what can change see the change log and the FAQ.
As you embark on your Ikigai journey, seeking feedback and guidance from Gemini can be a valuable resource. Gemini can provide constructive suggestions, offer insights from diverse perspectives, and help you anticipate potential challenges.
Regularly seek feedback: Regularly engage with Gemini to seek feedback on your ideas, plans, and progress. Gemini can provide valuable insights into the strengths and weaknesses of your potential Ikigai paths, helping you make informed decisions.
Consider multiple perspectives: Encourage Gemini to provide insights from diverse perspectives, considering different industries, cultures, and approaches to potential career paths or ventures. This broader view can help you identify unexpected opportunities and expand your understanding of Ikigai's potential.
Evaluate potential challenges: Discuss with Gemini the potential challenges or obstacles you may encounter in pursuing your Ikigai. Gemini can help you identify strategies and advice for overcoming these challenges, increasing your chances of success.
Celebrate milestones and achievements: Acknowledge and celebrate your progress and achievements along the Ikigai journey. Recognizing your accomplishments can boost motivation and reinforce your commitment to pursuing your Ikigai.
Step 7: Embracing Continuous Learning
Your Ikigai journey is not a destination but an ongoing process of exploration and growth. Embracing continuous learning is essential to staying engaged and adapting to changing circumstances.
View Ikigai as a lifelong journey: Recognize that your Ikigai may evolve as you learn and grow. Be open to exploring new ideas, perspectives, and potential paths as your understanding of yourself and the world around you expands.
Seek growth opportunities: Actively seek out opportunities for learning, training, and skill development. Aligning your personal and professional growth with your Ikigai can lead to deeper fulfillment and greater impact.
Utilize Gemini's support: Regularly engage with Gemini to explore new ideas, perspectives, and potential paths. Gemini's vast knowledge and insights can help you identify unexpected opportunities and expand your understanding of you’re Ikigai potential.
Embrace adaptability: Be open to adapting your plans and goals as you learn and grow. Maintaining flexibility and embracing new possibilities will allow you to navigate the ever-changing landscape of your Ikigai journey.
Remember, your Ikigai is a unique expression of your passions, skills, and values. By seeking feedback, embracing continuous learning, and adapting to change, you can uncover your Ikigai and pursue a life of purpose, fulfillment, and impact.
Utilize Gemini's support: Regularly engage with Gemini to explore new ideas, perspectives, and potential paths, leveraging its insights to expand your understanding of your Ikigai potential.
Embrace adaptability: Be open to adapting your plans and goals as you learn and grow, maintaining flexibility, and embracing new possibilities as your Ikigai unfolds.
About the Author
Matthew Squire is a software developer with over 9 years of experience building reliable and robust systems. He specializes in Python and other languages, and his passion for quality extends beyond code.
Matthew is also a published writer, sharing his insights and imagination through both non-fiction and fictional narratives. He believes in continuous learning and applies this to both his writing and software development. You can read Matthew's writing on his blog. If you have any freelance article requests, you can contact him through the same webpage.
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