The Metagame #008: Finding Your Life Pillars

As we enter the holiday season, it’s important to reflect on the progress you’ve made.

Do you have goals you’re trying to finish? Are you still heading in the right direction?

Today, we’ll dive into two topics that’ll equip you with the tools to answer these questions. You’ll learn about:

• Finding your “life pillars”

• Understanding Ikigai

Read time: 3 minutes

You can’t build a house without first laying the foundation.

But what good is the foundation if you don’t know what kind of house you’re building?

The foundation for a single-family home is different from the foundation for a multi-tenant apartment complex.

Personal and professional development are like building a home—figuring out what you’re building is just as important as figuring out why you’re building it.

Everything you do should align with your core tenets—a.k.a. your pillars of life.

The 4 fundamental pillars I’m constantly learning more about are:

1. Health

Poor health will severely limit your abilities, physically and mentally. You only get one life, so your health and safety should always be your #1 priority.

It’s the base of Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, which I talked about last week.

2. Technology

I’m an engineer. I code. I build. I solve complex problems. From web3 to crypto to AI, I always have a pulse on the current state of technology and how it impacts society.

We live in a digital age—more and more people are building valuable online businesses and creating life-changing lifestyles through the internet.

Ignoring technological advances would be a rookie mistake.

3. Communication

Despite the massive technological shift we’re experiencing, humans are still social creatures. Understanding how our minds work and why we do the things we do is paramount. Whether it’s in person or over a DM, effective and efficient communication will improve the quality of your network and make you much more memorable.

This includes honing writing skills, understanding non-verbal cues, and awareness of how psychology plays a role in our everyday lives.

4. Personal Finance

In a capitalist society, everything revolves around money. How to get it, how to grow it, how to keep it. Our financial institutions are the backbone of society—without them, we might as well revert back to the stone ages.

Understanding how money works and its role in society is how you set yourself up for success. Whether you like it or not, there’s almost always an underlying motivation around money. Accepting that and using it to your advantage is a must-use strategy to survive today.

So, how do you find your own pillars?

It starts by asking yourself the right questions.

When I first started building online, I didn’t know where to start.

I bought courses. I networked with other creators. I experimented with dozens of different topics.

I was lost.

But I found direction when I started thinking about what I loved doing—not what other people loved to hear about.

When creating content online, your goal should be to find the link between what you love doing and what other people need.

It’s called Ikigai.

Ikigai is a Japanese concept referring to something that gives your life purpose or meaning, a.k.a. a reason for living.

It consists of 4 parts:

1. Something you love

2. Something you’re good at

3. Something the world needs

4. Something you can be paid for

Find your Ikigai by searching for something that meets these 4 criteria.

You might not have an immediate answer—I know I’m still searching.

But when you find your Ikigai, you’ll know it. And once you do, you can start building the foundation for a successful and fulfilling life.

Quote of the week

Thanks for reading!

If you have any questions, hit me up on 𝕏 at @sam_starkman, or feel free to reply to this email!

— Sam