To find a satisfying career and a satisfying life, you should work towards the intersections of the ikigai diagram, seeking as much overlap as possible.
Now let’s zoom in on the “what you’re good at” section of the diagram.
Odds are, you’re not just good at one thing. And that’s great because, to have a successful career, you probably need multiple strengths. Perhaps if you’re a violinist or a chess player, you just need to be great at one thing, but the rest of us have more complicated roles to play.
And unlike the violinist or the chess player, you don’t have to be the best at any one thing; you need the right combination of skills and talents.
Here’s James Clear, discussing the source of his success:
“I’m not the best writer, but it is a strength. I might be a 90th percentile writer.
And I’m not the best marketer, but it is a strength. Again, maybe 90th percentile? I’m better than most, but if you pass 100 people on the street it won’t be hard to find some people better than me.
What I have gradually learned is that it is not your strengths, but your combination of strengths that sets you apart. …
You will find talented people in every area of life. It’s the combinations that are rare.”1
Rare Combinations
Here are some other examples:
Greg Smith is the owner of Northwest Educational Services, and he is probably the most successful tutor in Seattle.
His rare combination of skills? Academics and relating to students. You can’t do well as a tutor without both.
Nick Loper is the creator of Side Hustle Nation, a thriving online business that has helped countless people free themselves from traditional nine-to-five jobs. Nick has been successful in this work because he knows a lot about business and marketing, is willing to experiment, and has the discipline to bring his ideas into the world.
One of my own side hustles is Smart College Habits, a service that combines academic coaching, habit coaching, and mentoring. Having one of these skills isn’t rare, but having all three puts me in a unique position to support college students.
Learn What You Lack
Lots of people are good engineers. Lots of people are good communicators. But few good engineers are also good communicators. So if you can do both, you’re rare and valuable. Luckily, communication and charisma are learnable skills (probably easier to learn than engineering). A good place to start is reading The Charisma Myth by Olivia Fox Cabane, which will quickly teach you how to master the three components of charisma.
If you’re a small business owner who is passionate about what you sell – be it books, board games, or burritos – remember that it’s not enough to deeply know your product. You also have to know how to run a business; you also need people skills.
Whatever your field, learn both deeply and broadly: deeply within your domain and broadly outside of it. Don’t just master your primary career skill, also cultivate adjacent skills. Seek to develop combinations of skills that are rare and valuable.
Combine Your Signature Strengths
Have you ever taken the VIA Character Strengths Survey? If not, I highly recommend you do so (for free, at viacharacter.org).
Unlike most personality tests, it’s grounded in real science. The results will tell you your “signature strengths” – the virtuous character traits that are naturally strongest in you. Using your signature strengths more often leads to both greater success and greater happiness.
It had been a while, so I recently retook the survey. My top two strengths are still:
- Appreciation of Beauty and Excellence
- Love of Learning.
This helps explain why I so easily became passionate about birding. I love seeing beautiful birds while out in nature, and I love learning about the traits and behaviors of different species.
One thing that turns your hobbies into passions is repeated engagement: simply doing the activity often deepens your appreciation of it. But you’ll also find passion comes easier if your hobbies use more than one of your natural character strengths.
And if you can find ways to combine your signature strengths in your career, you’ll be both more successful and more fulfilled.
1 Clear, James. “3-2-1: On the hidden costs of success, how to deal with challenges, and the joy of shared experiences.” July 4, 2024