The most popular modern framework for Ikigai identifies the intersection of four primary questions:

In Western career coaching, Ikigai is often visualized as a Venn diagram where four key elements of life overlap: What you love (Passion):

However, the true secret of ikigai is that you do not need all four at once from a single job. The happiest workers find ikigai in the overlap of two or three areas, or by weaving multiple ikigai sources together across their life.

What you are good at (Profession): Your natural talents, skills, and areas where you excel.

"I used my skill," Kenji said. "I used my logic. But I applied it to something I loved—preserving beauty—and something that was needed. And they want to pay me as a consultant."