Ikigai Thought for Today: Vital Things
Making time for play in the midst of productivity.
Audio narration by David Marlow
One of the challenges people have in uncovering and then living their Ikigai is time. We seem to have so much to do and so little time to do it.
That's why I teach this important rule…
There are few things of value; focus on those things, grow those things, and make those things better.
And here's the interesting thing - sometimes those vital things might seem unproductive on the surface. Take running for example.
Sometimes I run for the sake of running itself. No watch. No tracking. No goals or training. Running for the joy of running.
That's a form of play. And we need more play in our lives.
While a big part of my career was spent in Continuous Improvement, I don't see efficiency and productivity as the only goals in life. In fact, they're not meant to be the primary goals at all. Eliminating wasteful practices isn't about speeding life up. It's about creating time and energy to enjoy life by slowing things down.
This is where wisdom comes in: In life, many things will catch your eye, but few will catch your heart; follow those.
We can embrace our Ikigai by living a life of joy, improvisation, and laughter. One way to do that is to maximize our energy through rest, regeneration, and relaxation. In other words, through the flow that comes from play.
Since few things matter, focusing on everything wastes our limited time. Instead, focus on those things that catch your heart.
This beautiful sunset photo was taken by my friend David doing what he loves, deer hunting with his family. He had no thought of goals or success, only experience. Good thing, as he didn't get a deer - but he wouldn't have traded these moments for anything.
🌀 Reflection:
🌱 What is catching your heart right now?
🌱 When was the last time you did something for the sake of doing it? No agenda, goal, or thought of achievement. Just for the fun of doing it?
Remember: The vital few aren't just about productivity - they're about making space for what truly brings us joy.
Quest well.
Great topic David and funny where life has so many distractions that people pay $ to simply escape from it. Quest for many may be to develop a habit of finding a time for contemplation/oneness from within each day....yes each day. People exercise daily to build up their bodies to be tuned well, people read and comment on LinkedIn and so many other endeavors to keep the mind sharp...why is ones soul usually last on the list? For those that have heating systems in their houses that require a pilot (gas) to be on...is not the pilot always on...does it not require continued maintenance and gas and a spark to keep ignited....always be it Summer for heating water or Winter for heating water and our homes and all in between. The Soul is always on....it is up to us to recognize it's importance and if we need that type of warmth and source in our lives!
Devoting the non-renewable resource that is time...to reverence & gratitude...for me and by extension...the magic all around.