The Six Ingredients to a Dream Job

You have 80,000 hours in your career: 40 hours a week, 50 weeks a year, for 40 years. This means your choice of career is one of the most important decisions you’ll ever make.

I’m halfway through my 80,000 hours. I work as a consultant in the health insurance IT business. I’ve been in this industry for over twenty years. I didn’t go to school for what I do — I was a double major in math and psychology. I started my career in data entry and worked my way through the ranks. I’ve learned a lot along the way and met some really great people. I’m grateful for the opportunities and the comfortable life I have. The problem is that a comfortable life isn’t necessarily a fulfilling one.

How do you find your purpose? I don’t have all the answers, but I’d like to share some ideas I’m exploring. There’s a Japanese concept called Ikigai that I find very interesting. The concept is to find something where these four concepts overlap: what you love, what you’re good at, what the world needs, and what you can be paid for.

Ikigai is great conceptually, but how do you translate it into practical steps to find that glorious place in the center?