WANTING TO COACH IKIGAI?
THE IKIGAI VENN DAGRAM
The Ikigai Venn diagram is not Japanese in origin and fundamentally contradicts the concept of ikigai.
Using it as a coaching tool misinforms your clients, reduces a nuanced cultural idea to a simplistic formula, and reinforces widely spread misconceptions. It reflects a lack of cultural awareness and professional rigor, especially when working with a concept grounded in Japanese psychology and lived experience.
Coaches who rely on the diagram may believe they are helping clients find purpose, but in reality, they are often guiding them away from a more authentic and meaningful understanding of what makes life worth living. You don’t want to make this mistake.
DON'T USE THIS!
USE THIS
THE IKIGAI-9 SCALE
The Ikigai-9 Scale offers an evidence-based and practical alternative for coaches who want to work with ikigai in a way that is both accurate and effective.
Developed through Japanese psychological research, it measures optimistic and positive emotions toward life, active and forward-looking attitudes toward one’s future, and the recognition of meaning in one’s own existence. Rather than forcing clients into a fixed formula, it provides a structured yet flexible way to explore what makes life feel worth living on their own terms.
For coaches, it brings clarity, credibility, and depth to conversations, allowing you to guide clients with confidence while staying true to the cultural and psychological foundations of ikigai. Using it makes you a more credible coach.
THE IKIGAI-9 SCALE COACHING PACK
Get access to my Ikigai-9 Scale Coaching Pack, including a clear explanation and history of the scale, practical worksheets, a guided coaching script, and a step-by-step walkthrough video to help you apply it with confidence.
