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Ikigai Worksheet

An interactive ikigai worksheet to map your passions, skills, purpose, and livelihood. Fill in the four circles and discover where they overlap.

生き甲斐

Fill in each section below. Write freely. There are no wrong answers. When you are done, look for patterns where the circles overlap.

♥

What You Love

What activities make you lose track of time? What would you do even if nobody paid you?

<div class="iws__section iws__section--good">
  <div class="iws__section-header">
    <span class="iws__section-icon">★</span>
    <h3>What You're Good At</h3>
  </div>
  <p class="iws__prompt">What skills come naturally to you? What do people ask for your help with?</p>
  <textarea class="iws__textarea" id="ws-good" rows="4" placeholder="I'm good at..."></textarea>
</div>

<div class="iws__section iws__section--need">
  <div class="iws__section-header">
    <span class="iws__section-icon">◆</span>
    <h3>What the World Needs</h3>
  </div>
  <p class="iws__prompt">What problems do you want to solve? What causes do you care about?</p>
  <textarea class="iws__textarea" id="ws-need" rows="4" placeholder="The world needs..."></textarea>
</div>

<div class="iws__section iws__section--paid">
  <div class="iws__section-header">
    <span class="iws__section-icon">●</span>
    <h3>What You Can Be Paid For</h3>
  </div>
  <p class="iws__prompt">What skills or services are people willing to pay for? What could sustain your life?</p>
  <textarea class="iws__textarea" id="ws-paid" rows="4" placeholder="I could be paid for..."></textarea>
</div>

Where They Overlap

Now look at what you wrote above. Can you find connections?

<div class="iws__overlap-grid">
  <div class="iws__overlap">
    <h3>Passion <span class="iws__overlap-combo">Love + Good At</span></h3>
    <textarea class="iws__textarea iws__textarea--small" id="ws-passion" rows="2" placeholder="Where do love and skill meet?"></textarea>
  </div>
  <div class="iws__overlap">
    <h3>Mission <span class="iws__overlap-combo">Love + World Needs</span></h3>
    <textarea class="iws__textarea iws__textarea--small" id="ws-mission" rows="2" placeholder="Where do love and purpose meet?"></textarea>
  </div>
  <div class="iws__overlap">
    <h3>Vocation <span class="iws__overlap-combo">World Needs + Paid For</span></h3>
    <textarea class="iws__textarea iws__textarea--small" id="ws-vocation" rows="2" placeholder="Where do purpose and livelihood meet?"></textarea>
  </div>
  <div class="iws__overlap">
    <h3>Profession <span class="iws__overlap-combo">Good At + Paid For</span></h3>
    <textarea class="iws__textarea iws__textarea--small" id="ws-profession" rows="2" placeholder="Where do skill and livelihood meet?"></textarea>
  </div>
</div>

Your Ikigai

Look at the overlaps above. What sits at the center of all four? This is the direction of your ikigai.

How to Use This Worksheet

This interactive worksheet follows the four-circle ikigai framework. Unlike a quiz that gives you an answer, this worksheet asks you to reflect deeply on four essential questions.

Start with the four main sections. Write whatever comes to mind without editing yourself. Then look at the overlaps: where do two sections connect? Finally, consider what sits at the center of all four areas. That direction is your ikigai.

Your answers are saved automatically in your browser. You can return to this page and continue where you left off. When you are ready, download your worksheet as a text file to keep.

Tips for Better Results

  • Be specific. Instead of “helping people,” write “helping new parents feel less alone.”
  • Include small things. Ikigai does not have to be grand. A morning coffee ritual counts.
  • Come back tomorrow. Your first answers will improve with a night of sleep.
  • Share with someone. Others often see strengths and patterns we miss in ourselves.

FAQ

What is an ikigai worksheet?

An ikigai worksheet is a reflection tool based on the Japanese concept of ikigai (生き甲斐), meaning “a reason for being.” It maps four dimensions of your life: what you love, what you are good at, what the world needs, and what you can be paid for. The goal is finding where these areas overlap.

How is this different from the ikigai quiz?

The ikigai quiz gives you a scored assessment based on multiple-choice answers. This worksheet is open-ended. You write your own responses and discover patterns yourself. Both tools are useful in different ways. The quiz gives structure; the worksheet gives depth.

Will my answers be saved?

Yes. Your responses are saved locally in your browser using localStorage. They are never sent to any server. You can also download your completed worksheet as a text file.

How often should I revisit this worksheet?

Every three to six months is a good rhythm. Your ikigai is not fixed. It evolves as you grow, change careers, start families, or discover new passions. Revisiting this worksheet regularly helps you stay aligned with what matters.

Is the four-circle diagram the traditional Japanese ikigai model?

The four-circle Venn diagram is actually a Western adaptation that has become widely associated with ikigai. Traditional Japanese ikigai is broader and simpler. It refers to the small daily joys and purposes that make life worth living. Both perspectives are valuable. Read more about this distinction on our ikigai page.