Finding My Ikigai: “A reason for being”
Lately, I’ve been deep in research, scouring the internet for ways to gain more experience in outdoor education, leadership, team-building, coaching, and facilitation. It’s a mouthful, I know. There are so many overlapping words and ideas to describe the same core mission: bringing people outdoors, leading them through meaningful activities, and helping them strengthen their relationships—with themselves, with others, and with nature.
This past year, everything in my life seems to have led me toward these experiences. Through designing, facilitating, and experimenting with different gatherings for friends, colleagues, and strangers, I think I’ve found my Ikigai—a Japanese concept that means “reason for being.”
What is Ikigai?
For those unfamiliar with the concept, Ikigai is the intersection of four fundamental elements:
What you love
What the world needs
What you’re good at
What you can be paid for
Your true purpose lies in the overlap of all four like the image above. However, even if you’re missing one piece, the experience still holds meaning:
• If you do what you love, the world needs it, and you’re good at it—but you can’t make money from it—you’ll feel fulfilled, but struggle financially.
• If you do what you’re good at, get paid well, and the world needs it—but you don’t love it—you may end up feeling empty over time.
A great way to explore your Ikigai is to write down bullet points for each category and look for patterns. What overlaps? What are you already doing that aligns with multiple circles? How do your passions, hobbies, and professional work fit into your deeper purpose?
How I Found My Ikigai
For the record, I didn’t set out to find my Ikigai first. I was already designing and facilitating experiences for fun. As I kept experimenting, I realized how much they offered: to me and to the people involved.
Here are a few experiences I led this past year that helped me discover my deeper purpose:
Golden Gate Olympics – A Birthday Adventure
For my birthday every year, I design an all-day adventure in Golden Gate Park, where a group of 15 friends experienced tons of activities the park has to offer—archery, bocce, model boats, rowboats, and even golf. Some people tried new activities for the first time, others made new friends, and everyone left with a newfound appreciation for the hidden gems of the park.
Facilitating Connection at Work
Back at the office, I had the opportunity to facilitate 2hr outdoor lunch sessions and happy hours for 50+ people. Coming out of the pandemic, people were meeting in person for the first time or reconnecting after years apart. That bridge isn’t always easy to cross—and while a glass of wine can help, a well-designed group activity can bring people together and create real, lasting energy in the room.
Adult Summer Camp on the Northern Coast
In the fall, I organized a three-day camp for 30 friends on the Northern California coast. We played field games to bring out our inner child, created challenges to strengthen friendships, and ended each night with live African blues music followed by a silent disco under the stars. It was a highlight of the year—one I’ll be repeating annually.
What Comes Next?
These experiences have shown me what I love: creating meaningful, engaging, and deeply human experiences. And they’ve also confirmed what I’ve suspected for a while—the world needs more of this.
Since the pandemic, people have been craving real human connection—not just a virtual feed filled with followers and likes, but actual shared moments, deep conversations, and a return to PLAY. Companies are trying to figure out how to bring people back together in an authentic way. And that’s where I see opportunity.
I haven’t made a dime doing this yet, but in 2024, that’s going to change.
My Goal for 2024
My focus for next year is to develop repeatable programs and experiences—starting small with:
✔ Two-hour lunch sessions
✔ Happy hours with interactive activities
✔ Day-long outdoor adventures
Eventually, I’d love to take groups on overnight retreats.
You can create an impact in a few hours, but there’s something deeper and more transformational about overnight experiences. Think about the strongest relationships in your life—chances are, they were formed through shared experiences, travel, or simply spending time together overnight.
There’s something almost mystical about sleeping in the same space as others, even if it’s just in a different room, a nearby tent, or under the same stars. Maybe it’s the moments before and after sleep—the winding down, the shared meals, the morning grogginess, the coffee by the fire. It strips away the glamor of office life or social settings, letting people be fully themselves.
That’s where real connection happens. That’s the magic I want to cultivate.
This isn’t just a career path—it’s an experiment. One worth pursuing. For myself. For others. For the world.
Until next time, Outdoor Goyo… OUT!