Ok team, I’m trying not to freak out, but I think I just discovered the secret to life design on a napkin…? Yes, yes, I’m going to share it with you! Before that, let me get you up to speed:
So I’ve been working on this book project, and the big idea I’ve been trying to wrap my head around is:
Why do so many people working their “dream jobs” end up feeling stuck?
I’ve been there, and I can’t say I’m surprised. Look at what we've been conditioned by: Anyone ever tell you, “do what you love, and you’ll never work a day in your life?” Yeah, me too. I chased that slogan out of college, and I think I made like $14,000 that first year.
What about the Ikigai Venn Diagram? I heard about it on some podcast (probably this one, but it was everywhere in the late 2010s). The diagram shows that the intersection "what you love," "what you're good at," "what the world needs," and "what you can be paid for" is your life's purpose or ideal job.
(Side note: Marc Winn wasn’t the original person to come up with this visual—it was created by Spanish astrologer Andres Zuzunaga as the “Venn Diagram of Purpose” and Winn swapped “purpose” for “Ikigai” in the middle and went viral. Hogwash.)
The Ikigai Venn Diagram. Do not recommend.
I figured this was going to be the map to help me build my dream life. It’s one of the reasons I walked away from my 6-figure consulting business to start two outdoor companies—I was following my passion!
But what I know now, but didn’t then, is that this diagram assumes two things:
That your work and your identity are fundamentally the same thing
That purpose is a final destination - a place you get to and stay forever
This is how I fell into a trap of my own making.
I quietly made "founder" my entire identity—passion, purpose, and paycheck perfectly aligned. So every setback felt personal, and walking away felt like erasing myself, so I stayed long after I should have. Rest felt like falling behind. Other parts of me—friend, partner, human with needs—shrank around the role. The dream stopped being a job and became a trap I didn't know how to leave.
Mmk. So. The napkin drawing. That's the next issue — and I genuinely think it might be the most useful thing I've ever put in an email.
Until then.
xx Tana
p.s. Jackson-based professionals + entrepreneurs… I'm hosting a small breakfast on Thursday, March 19. The theme is "Don't Make Plans, Make Options" (Jennifer Aniston said it best!), and it will be an opportunity to think out loud, challenge assumptions, and get you closer to the work, income, and freedom you want — IRL and in good company. Details here if you want to join!