XXXPeople worldwide spend about a third of their life asleep, a third doing their own thing, and a third at work. As the old adage goes, nobody has ever said on their deathbed that they wished they’d spent more time at the office. So, it’s clear that people should try to pursue a career they find rewarding and enjoyable. If you’re lucky enough to have multiple career opportunities, it’s worth considering which to prioritise. Here is a simplified version of the excellent Japanese Ikigai ('reason for being’) approach to finding career fulfilment and happiness.

The thinking is simple: your ideal career is one that combines the things you’re good at and find rewarding, whilst delivering the level of income you need for the lifestyle you desire. Most people are lucky enough to find a job that fulfils one or two of these factors, so if you see an opportunity to achieve all three, by all means go for it!
 
The benefit of being happy and fulfilled at work is that you can focus all your remaining time and energy on your personal life, your happiness and the happiness of your loved ones.

In order to succeed in your chosen career, you’ll need a growth mindset, determination and patience (and maybe a little luck now and again). Don’t expect your career to progress in a linear fashion, because good opportunities don’t usually present themselves in a logical, timely way.

When an opportunity does arise, ask yourself whether you’ll learn something that you’ll need to be successful in your chosen career. If so, it could be an opportunity worth taking, even if at first glance it isn’t the most obvious next step. Think of it as working your way up a climbing wall — a sideways move can often open up a better route to the top.
 
Whatever path you choose, even if it ends up very specialised, you’ll go further if you continually develop your soft skills. These include how organised you are, how well you deal with other people, your leadership qualities and your ability to communicate effectively. All of these are covered in the chapters ahead.