097: Finding Your Purpose with ADHD – Uncovering Ikigai

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[00:00:08] Laurence: Hello, and welcome to another episode of the ADHD Goals podcast. I am your host, Laurence Pratt, and today we are gonna be talking about finding your purpose with ADHD, how Ikigai can help you thrive, not just survive.

So do you ever feel like your brain’s a browser with 30 tabs open at any one time, and one of them is playing music, but you have no idea which one it is. If that made you smile or groan in recognition, then you’re in the right place. ’cause living with ADHD can be a wild, beautiful, chaotic ride.

And if you’re anything like me, you’ve probably wrestled with feeling scattered, stuck, or downright exhausted from trying to do it all. But what if the key to thriving isn’t about just fixing yourself, [00:01:00] it’s about finding your purpose. And today we are gonna dive into the world of Ikigai, which is a Japanese concept that just might be the compass you didn’t know you needed, especially if you’ve got an ADHD brain buzzing with ideas, but struggling with focus.

So let’s just take a minute. ADHD isn’t about being a little bit forgetful or. Super energetic. It’s those late nights overthinking, missed deadlines, half finished passion projects, and that crushing feeling of burnout from trying to keep up. We’re talking, uh, brain fog that makes even the simplest of tasks feel impossible, emotional overwhelm that hits out of nowhere or that guilt spiral after hours of lost doom scrolling or hyper focusing on the wrong thing.

And on top of that, we’re often internalized shame like we’re lazy or broken, [00:02:00] but here’s the truth, you are not broken. Your brain is wired differently. And once you learn how to work with it and not against it. Everything changes. So why is purpose a game changer? Well imagine purpose as your anchor in a storm.

When the winds of distraction and self-doubt blow hard and they will. Your purpose keeps you grounded. When you know your why, your how becomes clearer. You can say no to things that drain you. Focus more easily on what matters and find energy in alignment instead of chasing productivity for productivity’s sake.

So what is Ikigai? Ikigai is a Japanese word that roughly translates to a reason for being. And it’s where these four things overlap. Number one, what you love. Number two, what you are good at. [00:03:00] Number three, what the world needs. And number four, what you can be paid for It doesn’t have to be some grand career.

Your Ikigai might be storytelling, nurturing others, creating beauty or solving problems, whatever lights you up from the inside out so. How do you find your Ikigai when you’ve got ADHD? Well, luckily I have created, um, an ebook and a worksheet to go along with this episode and you can find that for free in the show notes. If you go to the show notes and click on the link, you’ll be able to download the ebook and. The worksheet and work along with me. So step one, this is the things that you love and I want you to use the worksheet to write down the things that excite you, energize you, or make you lose track of time.

So think [00:04:00] about what hobbies or activities do you choose to do in your free time? When do you feel the happiest or most alive or in flow? And if money wasn’t an issue, what would you spend your day doing?

And once you’ve jotted down some of those things that spring to mind, you can then move on to step two, what you are good at. Now this can be your natural talents, strengths, or skills, even if they come and go in bursts. So think about what do people often compliment you on?

What comes more easily to you than others? And what skills have you built throughout your work, hobbies, or life? Again, take some time to think about those and write ’em down in the worksheet. And then step three, what the world needs. This can be causes, communities, or problems that you care about deeply.

So think about what injustices or issues spark emotion in you. Who do you feel [00:05:00] called to help or support? And what change would you like to see in the world?

again. Have some time to think about those and jot those down in the worksheet, and then you can move on to step four, what you can be paid for. And this can be skills or roles or knowledge that others will pay for. So think about what jobs or roles have you been paid for in the past. What services or skills are others charging for right now, and where does your passion or talent overlap with real world demand?

Again, take some time to think about that and jot those down in your worksheet and then move on to step five. Now step five is where you start to analyze what you have written down. And if you look at the diagram of Ikigai, you can Google search, a diagram for Ikigai. It looks like a Venn diagram where those [00:06:00] four circles overlap and where those circles overlap.

So if you look at where, uh, what you love and what you are good at, that is your passion.

When you take a look at what you are good at and what you can be paid for, this can be your profession. When you take a look at what you can be paid for and what the new world needs, this is known as your vocation.

And when you finally look at what the world needs and what you love, where these two overlap, this is your mission.

So what I want you to do for this step is to take a look at where each one of those intersections happen, and have a look at what you’ve written down in your lists and see if you can then come up with something where you can combine some of the things from your lists into one thing that you can then pursue for [00:07:00] each of your passion, profession, vocation, and your mission.

And if. You are able to find something where all four circles combine. That is your Ikigai, and if you’re lucky enough to find something that fits into your Ikigai, then that is something then you could really consider making it a goal to pursue as either your life’s work or something that you do on the side, which enriches your life.

So now I’m gonna follow that up with some ADHD friendly tips to help you find your Ikigai, because you might be thinking that’s a great concept, but how the heck am I gonna figure that out without getting distracted halfway through? So here are a few tips. Use some mind maps.

These are visual and non-linear, and they’re perfect for how the ADHD Brain works. [00:08:00] You could use some voice note journaling. Talking it out can help you bypass that perfectionism and get you to your Ikigai faster. Follow the dopamine.

Pay attention to what energizes you and what you get lost in. That in itself is a clue and look for patterns. Notice recurring themes in your interests, even when they seem quite random. And most importantly, give yourself some grace. You don’t have to figure it all out in one sitting. Your ikigai can evolve over time.

And finally, let’s take a look at how to apply Ikigai into your real life. So now that you’ve got a glimpse of your Ikigai, now what? Well, here’s some ways that you can actually use it in your life. Align your to-do list with your purpose. So ditch the things that drain you when you can, and delegate if possible, create reminders of your why. So visual [00:09:00] cues, post-it notes. Background wallpapers. Keep it in sight so that it stays top of mind.

Communicate your purpose. Let friends, coworkers, and family know what lights you up and It invites support and boundaries.

Start tiny, like five minutes a day. Tiny, whether it’s sketching, writing, volunteering, or researching your dream project. Build that habit, not the hype.

People with a sense of purpose are less likely to suffer from burnout and depression, even more so in neurodivergent. Folks, as Simon Sinek says, working hard for something we don’t care about is called stress. Working hard for something we love is called passion. So that’s all for today’s episode. So if you’re feeling inspired but not sure where to start, then like I say, go to the show notes and download the ebook [00:10:00] and worksheet specifically for people with ADHD to help you uncover your Ikigai 

Without the overwhelm 

Well there, we have it. Thank you so much for listening this far. If you want to hear more episodes, then please subscribe on YouTube or whatever podcast platform you use. It really helps us spread the word. So if you know anyone, this episode could help, then please share it with your friends. If you want to follow me on social media, I am on Instagram at ADHD underscore goals. And you can find me on Facebook too. If you want to get into touch with the show, then you can email me at hello@adhdgoals.co And finally, if you’re struggling to manage your ADHD and you would like me to be your coach, then please head over to my website and get in touch. Until next time. Bye for now.