Ikigai and what you can be paid for

Part 2 in our 4 part series is ‘What you can be paid for’. For me it was easy to say what the world needs (and yes I hear Dionne Warwick singing EVERY TIME – Love, sweet love!). In my opinion, these Ikigai elements become increasingly difficult to delve into as we progress through them. Now we’re getting into personal introspection. Of course the timing is perfect as I wander around (and wonder about) in semi-retirement.

Often times when faced with a difficult task such as this (laying out what’s important to you and defining yourself), it’s best to start bite-sized pieces. You know the expression, “how do you eat an elephant? one bite at a time”. I’ll start with some easy questions defining ranges. First the super easiest – I’m only considering legal professions. Master of the Obvious. (Hey – I’m establishing quick wins, answering an easy question or two to gain confidence!). Let’s bypass the other obvious of “I’m retired, so I’m not going to try to get a paying job”. At bare minimum I can get paid minimum wage to work retail or fast food. So that is the lowest bar (not that those jobs are low/demeaning, but that is the lowest paying of the options I’ll build out for me). Frankly, it might be fun to work at Starbucks and churn out some 1/2 caf lattes with almond milk. It probably is harder than I think. My first retail job (at 15) was working at the Dunkin’ Donuts on Roswell Road. My parents had to drive me to work bright and early on Saturdays and Sundays so that I could be the donut girl. I still remember our labrador mix, Black Bear, would attack me when I came home. I was covered in powdered sugar by the end of each shift. He’s snort up and down my legs and looked ridiculous. I think everyone put on weight that summer as I brought home donuts constantly! Other exciting retail jobs – Rich’s Department store and Victoria’s Secret at Lenox Square as well as Limited Express when the re-opened Underground Atlanta. But I digress!

Given my depth and breadth of experience, I can get full time/part time work as an employee of a company or full time/part time projects as an independent contractor. I can stay within the RMIS space or I can rotate to the technology/software space. Maybe this isn’t a hard element to define? Perhaps it is as you start your career and you don’t have the experience, but my foundation in insurance and RMIS likely keeps me within that space. Fortunately I do not feel as if I missed a vocation that I should have pursued. I come from a family of medical professionals, but didn’t get the calling. For those of you considering it, I would say that for the most part you can start over, even in your 50s, if that is your passion. Just know that there are financial repercussions. Are you willing to not be paid for X years to pursue a different career? Most are not. And that is a-ok. There’s nothing wrong with making the $ in your current position and pursuing your non-paying hobbies on your own time. That is what life is. Work sometimes is just work. Work sometimes serves a purpose (pays the bills, provides the health insurance, provides stability). But remember we’re aiming for the sweet spot of Ikigai, where all elements come together – where I can get paid to something I’m good at AND love AND what the world needs.

Does the world need someone passionate about allocations? hmmmm…. maybe not. But the world may need someone who listens to problems and comes up with creative (or not creative) sustainable solutions…now we’re getting somewhere! I may be closer to Ikigai than I thought. Are you?