Hey friends, welcome back to another exploration of Ikigai.
Today, we delve into one of its most powerful techniques for actualizing our purpose.
While many of us are good at planning and envisioning our Ikigai, we struggle with the transition from aspiration to reality.
However amazing our goals may be in writing, if they merely sit on our laptops, they are worth absolutely nothing. Taking action is paramount, far more crucial than the hours spent conceiving them.
This is why bridging this gap between our dreams and actions is so important.
To close the gap, one thing you can do that I have been finding incredibly powerful is to introduce present-tense language. Present-tense language is an indispensable instrument that directly links us to our goals, rendering them tangible and attainable.
By adopting this linguistic shift, we enhance our ability to visualize success, bolster our belief in our capabilities, and clarify our priorities.
Embracing the present tense in our goal-setting cultivates agency, emotional investment, and alignment with our core values, thereby transmuting our future aspirations into present realities.
1. Story of My Life with the Present-Tense Language
To illustrate the power of the present tense, I’ll share my experience with you.
Last year, while on vacation, I went on a date one evening with a guy I met at the location. We had already gone out twice before.
Despite finding him fun to talk to, we had few things in common, and I felt I had spent enough time getting to know him.
After enjoying Korean BBQ, he called an Uber so we could return to our respective hotels and call it a day.
The Uber arrived in 3 minutes, and we got in the back seat side by side.
My eyelids were drooping, and my mouth was shut; I was ready for bed. However, the driver seemed to want company and started asking questions.
Driver: So, where are you guys from?
He: She is from Japan, and I’m from Germany.
Driver: Oh, do you live here, or are you just visiting?
He: We are visiting here on vacation.
As I decided to let him do the talking, I leaned back and turned my gaze out the window on my side.
After a few back-and-forths, the driver went on to ask,
Driver: Do you guys consider moving here?
Half-listening to their conversation on the other side, I felt the driver may have misunderstood our relationship. To me, it was our final date, and I was about to conclude whatever may or may not have been happening between us.
… until he replied,
He: We have been talking about it, and it would be great if we could move here and settle. But my wife wants to stay in Tokyo, so maybe not for the next couple of years.
No, I did not mishear it. He referred to me as his wife. Wife?? We haven’t even started dating!
Driver: Oh, how come?
He: Honey, do you wanna tell him?
He turned to me, who was trying not to laugh at this entire joke that he had been playing with the driver on this ride.
However, besides laughter, I noticed a shift in emotions churning at the bottom of my stomach.
Intentionally or unintentionally, he shifted the subject of his conversation from “she” to “we,” and then from “we” to “my wife.”
This change in subject and his use of the present tense in his narrative created a surprisingly clear image of me living married life with him in Tokyo.
As I closed my eyes, my brain projected an image of us together as a family.
I know. As I revisit this event now, it still sounds crazy.
But it felt as if he cast a spell on me that caused me to fall in love with him.
His description of us as a married couple in the present moment left no room for imagining another future; thus, he was already my significant other and soon-to-be husband.
It was no longer imagination.
It was already a promised reality.
His long fingers touched my hand, and slowly they crept over the back of it, soon covering it entirely. The next thing I realized, I was flipping my hand and returning him a grip.
As I opened my eyes again, my heart saw him as a sexy, charming, decisive, and powerful future husband.
After a 10-minute ride, the Uber dropped both of us off at his address.
2. The Seven Powers of Present-Tense Language
Just as it worked its magic on me with that guy, stating future goals in the present tense can be a powerful technique for enhancing one’s sense of purpose and alignment with their Ikigai, or reason for being.
Here are seven ways incorporating present-tense language can improve our clarity and motivation in pursuing our Ikigai:
- Immediate Connection: Present tense language creates an immediate connection between us and our goals. By framing future aspirations as if they are already happening, it brings those goals into the present moment, making them feel more tangible and attainable.
- Enhanced Visualization: When we state our goals in the present tense, it encourages vivid mental imagery of achieving those goals. This visualization technique helps us envision ourselves actively engaged in the activities and outcomes associated with our Ikigai, reinforcing our commitment and motivation.
- Positive Affirmation: Present tense statements serve as positive affirmations, reinforcing belief in our ability to achieve our goals. By repeatedly affirming these goals in the present tense, we cultivate a mindset of confidence and determination, essential for pursuing our Ikigai with vigor and resilience.
- Clarified Intentions: Present tense language clarifies intentions and priorities, helping us articulate precisely what we want to achieve and why it matters to us. This clarity enables better decision-making and resource allocation as we align our actions more closely with our Ikigai.
- Heightened Sense of Agency: Present tense statements empower us to take ownership of our goals and actively pursue them. By framing our aspirations as current realities, we are more likely to feel a sense of agency and responsibility for manifesting our desired outcomes, driving proactive behavior and initiative.
- Increased Emotional Engagement: Present-tense language elicits a stronger emotional response than future-tense statements. Expressing our goals as if they are already happening evokes feelings of excitement, passion, and commitment, fueling our motivation and perseverance in pursuing our Ikigai.
- Alignment with Core Values: Present tense statements facilitate alignment with our core values and beliefs. By expressing future goals in alignment with our present values, we strengthen the connection between our aspirations and our sense of purpose, reinforcing our commitment to living a fulfilling and meaningful life according to our Ikigai.
Incorporating present-tense language into goal-setting and self-affirmation practices can, therefore, be a powerful tool for enhancing our sense of purpose, motivation, and fulfillment in pursuing our Ikigai.
The good thing is that, given how powerful this technique is, it is something you can easily start today.
Implement this when you write out your Ikigai, speak about it, and think about it.
Chances are, the more you do this, the more you will find your sense of purpose and fulfillment.
We’ve discussed the impact of utilizing present-tense language in bridging the gap between our envisioned future and current actions in the pursuit of our Ikigai.
I hope you found this article useful.
If you missed my previous article about how to find Ikigai, you can check it out here.
If you want to learn about how to maintain your Ikigai, check out this article.
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I’ll see you soon in my next piece.