Ikigai has become a hot topic in the wellness world, yet the popular four-circle model many of us associate with the term is a significant departure from the concept’s Japanese origins.
Cultural scholars and researchers have raised concerns that this distortion oversimplifies a rich life philosophy, reducing it to little more than a career-optimization exercise (Jedvaj & Skrbinjek, 2025; Kotera & Fido, 2020).
Likewise, some clients find this framework more frustrating than clarifying because it sidesteps the inner work that makes the questions embedded in the model answerable in the first place.
To help, this article offers a three-step coaching framework that re-establishes this missing foundation. Aided by The Ultimate Ikigai Collection—a curated bundle of five ikigai tools—we’ll suggest a more grounded approach for creating real depth and transformation in the work of ikigai.
Before you continue, we thought you might like to download our five positive psychology tools for free. These engaging, science-based exercises will help you effectively deal with difficult circumstances and give you the tools to improve the resilience of your clients.
Cultural scholars and researchers have raised concerns that this distortion oversimplifies a rich life philosophy, reducing it to little more than a career-optimization exercise (Jedvaj & Skrbinjek, 2025; Kotera & Fido, 2020).
Likewise, some clients find this framework more frustrating than clarifying because it sidesteps the inner work that makes the questions embedded in the model answerable in the first place.
To help, this article offers a three-step coaching framework that re-establishes this missing foundation. Aided by The Ultimate Ikigai Collection—a curated bundle of five ikigai tools—we’ll suggest a more grounded approach for creating real depth and transformation in the work of ikigai.
Before you continue, we thought you might like to download our five positive psychology tools for free. These engaging, science-based exercises will help you effectively deal with difficult circumstances and give you the tools to improve the resilience of your clients.
Source: How to Use Ikigai Tools in Coaching: A Three-Step Framework
