How Your Strengths Can Help You Discover Your Ikigai
There’s a beautiful Japanese phrase—Ichi-go ichi-e—that means “one time, one meeting.” It’s a reminder that every moment is a once-in-a-lifetime event, never to be repeated in exactly the same way. When it comes to our personal growth and fulfillment, this concept is a powerful invitation: don’t wait to be happy. Don’t wait for the “perfect” time to pivot, to reflect, or to realign your life with what matters most. This moment is the only one like it—and that makes it the perfect time to begin.
One powerful tool to guide that exploration is the Ikigai model, a Japanese concept that loosely translates to "reason for being." It's a framework that blends what you love, what you're good at, what the world needs, and what you can be paid for. Where these four elements overlap is your Ikigai—your sweet spot for purpose and direction.
At Aspen Root Collective, we help individuals uncover their purpose through strengths-based coaching. If you’ve taken the CliftonStrengths assessment, you already have powerful insights into what you love and what you’re good at.
The Strengths + Ikigai Connection
Your top CliftonStrengths themes are more than personality traits—they're evidence-based indicators of your natural talents. They help you understand the patterns of thought, feeling, and behavior that come most naturally to you.
In the Ikigai model, this aligns beautifully with two key areas:
What You Love: Your strengths often reflect what brings you energy. If you lead with Positivity or Woo, you may love energizing people. If you lead with Intellection or Input, you may love thoughtful exploration.
What You Are Good At: CliftonStrengths is built around the idea that when you invest in your natural talents, they become strengths. These are the areas where you have the potential to achieve excellence.
By mapping your talents to these two quadrants of Ikigai, you can begin to build a vision of work that not only fulfills you but is sustainable and impactful.
What Gallup Says About Purpose and Wellbeing
Gallup’s research continues to reinforce the deep connection between purpose, strengths, and life satisfaction:
People who use their strengths every day are six times more likely to be engaged at work.
Employees who strongly agree that they have the opportunity to do what they do best are more than three times as likely to report having an excellent quality of life.
Purpose is one of Gallup’s five essential elements of wellbeing (alongside social, financial, community, and physical). When purpose is missing, the rest can feel out of balance.
In other words, knowing and using your strengths isn’t just good for your career; it’s essential to your whole life.
Is It Time for a Career Pivot?
As we head into late summer, it’s a natural time to pause and reassess. Maybe the career that once inspired you now feels draining. Maybe you've outgrown a role that no longer challenges your strengths. Or maybe you've been so focused on what you can do, you've forgotten to ask what you love to do.
Ikigai offers a gentle but powerful way to reflect:
Are you energized by your work, or just enduring it?
Are your strengths being called upon daily, or left on the shelf?
Do you feel useful and valued?
Is your work contributing to something larger than yourself?
These questions don’t always have immediate answers, but they open a door to reflection and growth.
Action Steps to Start Exploring Your Ikigai
Revisit your CliftonStrengths report. Highlight the themes that energize you and reflect on how often you use them in your current role.
Map your Ikigai. Use a simple four-circle model to journal:
What do I love?
What am I good at?
What does the world need?
What can I be paid for?
Notice overlap. Where your strengths align with love, need, and value, you’ll find hints of purpose.
Talk it out. Purpose is easier to explore in conversation. A coach, mentor, or thought partner can help you process and clarify.
Ikigai isn’t just about career change, it’s about life alignment. And your CliftonStrengths are the perfect compass to guide you toward the work and life that fits best.
Whether you’re pivoting, exploring, or simply pausing to reflect, remember: this moment will never come again. Let it be the one where you chose to take yourself seriously.
We’d love to support you on your journey.
We’re also excited to invite you to our upcoming workshop on August 13th: What Is Ikigai? A Strengths-Based Approach to Meaningful Work. If you’ve ever wondered how to align what you love, what you’re good at, what the world needs, and what you can get paid for, this workshop is your invitation to explore, reflect, and plant something new.