Life is an infinite game.
There are no winners and losers. It only matters what your game is and how you play your game. With trials and tribulations, life is also constantly changing, and with it, so do your emotions and thoughts. Sometimes, you’re happy playing along and other times, you’re not.
However, if you’re constantly unhappy with your work or completely unsatisfied, even with the right amount of money, you might be missing a calling.
In fact, according to the Japanese concept of Ikigai (‘Iki’ in Japanese means ‘life,’ and ‘gai’ describes value or worth), your reason for being, your raison d’etre actually lies at the intersection of:
- What you love
- What you can be paid for
- What you’re good at
- And what the world needs
A deficiency in either of these items can cause being deeply unsatisfied, as these elements are how you play the infinite game.
[A point to note]
According to Abraham Maslow, a famed American psychologist, human needs are unlimited and as one need is met, another takes its place. He also placed needs on a pyramid with physiological needs at the bottom and self-actualization at the top.
However, with millennials and Gen Zers becoming more purpose-focused, that pyramid suddenly looks a lot wobblier. Mainly because we want to do purposeful work.
[Back to the main show]
Therefore, it’s time to ask the hard questions.
Do you actually like this game?
Let’s say you are a doctor. And you’re good at your job, even so, you detest work. Maybe it’s time you consider that being a doctor might not be for you. In the infinite game, it’s very important to love what you do. Without that love, the challenges you face at work become massive trials instead of temporary walls for you to scale.
If you love what you do, then it’s time to ask a really hard question.
Are you actually good at what you love or do?
Look. Let’s face it, we overestimate our abilities. However, if you’re unsatisfied with your work, it might be time to upgrade. Especially with artists and creatives, there is something called a taste gap. An offshoot of the Dunning Kruger Effect, the taste gap occurs when you see your inspirations and try to reach their level, but can’t. And sorry to say, it’s probably because you’re not as good. What’s actually happening is that your tastes have developed, but your skills haven’t. It’s like wanting to create a Michelin class recipe with the skills of someone who can’t cook a sunny side up without the yolk running (AKA me).
Luckily, this is easy to solve. Start shadowing your heroes, sign up for courses, and maybe go back to college. Anything that lets you close the distance between your taste and your skills.
Are you in the right stadium?
All right. It’s not the easiest out there. Especially in Dubai, where it’s very easy to create a toxic culture. And it’s alright to admit that. You might be good at what you love, but no man/woman is an island. If you don’t have the right environment, there’s no chance you can grow.
Here’s the thing. Mental health is non-negotiable. And if your mind isn’t at peace, how exactly is your work going to be peaceful? It’s time to self-analyze and figure out what exactly is it about your environment you don’t like. Is there any support? Is every day punctuated by fears you might get fired or berated?
You need a healthy place for your abilities to shine and you should never compromise on that.
Are you living according to your values?
Have you ever stopped to think about what is it you value? And don’t tell me it’s money. As Simon Sinek says in his best-seller, ‘Start With Why’, money is an end result of your purpose. So, ask yourself a deeper question.
If you had all the money in the world, what would you do?
Think of a verb and not a noun or a designation, like exploring, creating instead of a CEO and designer.
List your favorite things to do in the world and try to find the common threads.
When you aren’t living according to your values, it’s quite obvious that your soul will continue to be unsatisfied.
Are you helping someone?
Finally, you need to ask if you’re helping anyone. Barring sociopaths, narcissists, and the extremely mentally ill, everyone wants to help someone. You also need to ask, who are the people you want to serve, and do you want to help them?
And it’s fine if you don’t want to help a certain group or type of people. Taking a page out of the marketing handbook, you need to find your target audience. It could be your family or a certain demographic, like young adults.
Hopefully, once you’ve answered these questions, you will walk away with a renewed sense of self and a ton more insight into how you want to live your life. Life’s an infinite game and it’s too short to live like someone else (Copyright pending).
