AI-Augmented Ikigai Brainstorming for Writers Who Want More Than Just Views
A 20-minute guided Ikigai + AI session that sparks niche direction, content ideas, and brand focus.
“I don’t know what to write about.”
“I want to build a brand, but I’m interested in too many things.”
“Should I be the productivity guy, the self-growth girl, or the AI tools person?”
Have you said (or screamed) something similar? Oof, me too.
Starting a personal brand is confusing. It’s like staring at a menu with 100 delicious options, but the waiter’s rushing you, and you’re starving.
Should you talk about your past job as a teacher? Or your journey into freelancing? Or how you secretly nerd out on behavioral psychology, but also want to help people write online?
And because no one hands you a roadmap, you end up picking something randomly. You start posting. Then doubt creeps in. You start thinking: “Is this the “right” niche? Will anyone care?”
Six months later, you’ve pivoted three times, burned out twice, and deleted your content at least once.
This trial-and-error route is the default for most creators. But it’s painful and slow.
The good news: you could hire a personal brand strategist.
But bad news: the good ones are $3,000 minimum, and even then, they don’t always “get” you. It’s still a gamble.
So what do you do when:
You don’t have months to waste?
You don’t have thousands to spend?
You don’t want another generic niche?
Let me introduce you to a smarter way. A more agile, cheap, and high-leverage solution that modern creators and solopreneurs are just starting to explore:
Using AI as a strategic thinking partner.
Not to replace you. But to think with you.
Finding your brand without losing your mind
Let’s narrow it down even more.
You’re someone with multiple skill sets. Maybe you’ve worked in education, dabbled in design, studied psychology, whatever, and now you want to write about all of it — but you don’t know how to tie it together.
Or maybe you’re newer. You just want to start writing and build something meaningful. But the thought of “finding your niche” makes your stomach drop. It feels like picking a major in college all over again — and we all know how that turned out (random share, I’m a Sociology major but am now a full time content srategist and writing coach.)
Here’s why the traditional route doesn’t work anymore:
Trial and error take forever. And let’s face it — you probably won’t even get good feedback until month 3 or 4.
Hiring a strategist is a luxury. It’s a hit-or-miss investment that doesn’t always leave you with clarity.
Following trends won’t work long-term. Sure, you can talk about AI tools and go viral. But will it lead to a personal brand you actually love to maintain?
You don’t need a viral niche. You need your Ikigai.
And if that sounds too abstract, don’t worry — I’ve got you.
Use AI to help you find your Ikigai
Ikigai is a Japanese concept that roughly translates to “your reason for being.” It’s where:
What you love
What you’re good at
What the world needs
What you can be paid for
... all overlap.
It’s not just passion. It’s not just skill. It’s not just profit. It’s all of them, braided together into one clear direction.
The Ikigai framework has been used for career changes, business pivots, and even life redirections. It’s everywhere in the personal development sphere -- and with good reason: it’s usually sound advice.
The Ikigai is not perfect (nothing is), but it’s a good way to pick a general direction that takes into consideration the biggest factors of a life purpose.
But most people try to figure it out through endless journaling and reflection.
That’s fine. But it’s also slow and limited by your own blind spots.
AI supercharges the process of brainstorming your Ikigai
AI — especially tools like ChatGPT — can be your thinking partner, your coach, and your secretary all at once.
You can feed AI your:
Skills
Interests
Past experiences, and more
...and ask it to map connections you might’ve missed.
As a thinking partner, it can mirror your own thoughts back to you in clearer ways, and even propose new intersections that will blow your mind.
It’s also filled with deep knowledge of just about anything in the world, so it can coach you on the larger implications of your interest, particular field, and more.
Finally, you won’t have to write and rewrite your brain dumps in your notebook or word processor again. Instead, you can engage AI in organic conversation, and once you feel like you have enough information, AI will just format all the relevant points into one clear, cohesive document -- even turn it into your Personal Profile.
And no, it doesn’t spit out cookie-cutter results if you structure the prompts well.
Get the powerful Ikigai Prompt in the Active Prompt Vault
Let ChatGPT guide your thought and articulation process. Ask follow-up questions. Explore each path a little. See what lights you up.
Treat it like a jam session, not a job interview.
A brand that feels right — and works
When you take this approach seriously (and it only takes 60 focused minutes or less), you end up with something that very few online writers/creators have:
A personal brand that actually feels personal.
A content strategy that doesn’t make you dread posting.
A niche that adapts as you grow, not something that boxes you in.
And yes… one that’s also profitable.
Because people can feel it. When your message comes from a place of clarity and alignment, it resonates deeper. You attract the right readers, clients, and opportunities. You no longer chase; you magnetize.
Best of all, you didn’t have to drop $3K on a coach. Or spend half a year writing content that wasn’t quite you.
You used AI — mindfully — to accelerate a deeply human process.
What’s the next step?
Once you have a clear Ikigai, you can use that knowledge as a foundation for an even more powerful AI tool: your own personal writing assistant that writes like you, rooted in your core mission (your Ikigai).
In doing so, you became something most creators never quite achieve: Aligned, Unpromptable, and powerful.
Final thoughts
You don’t need a niche.
You need a purpose that speaks to your values, leverages your gifts, meets a real need — and earns you a living.
That’s Ikigai.
And in 2025, you no longer need to wander in search of it.
You just need a bit of structure, some thoughtful questions, and the willingness to partner with AI not to think for you, but to think with you.
So go. Run that prompt. Start jamming with your second brain.
Your Ikigai’s waiting.
And if you like, you can even share the results of your Ikigai on this comment section. I will read every single one of them!
PS. This article is the first of what will be a multi-week series called AI for Thinking, where I give you innovative ideas on how to use AI to help you think more creatively, critically, and strategically -- especially for content creation and writing.
PPS. Your Ikigai (core mission) is one piece of the puzzle for your hypercustomized writing assistant. With this prompt, you’re one step closer to creating a powerful writing assistant that thinks and writes like you. I talk about that in my new ebook, Authentic AI.
I launched it last Monday, July 7, and is currently 50% off.
Wow.. I've never thought this far that AI can help us to map our Ikigai. Very interesting!
AI is definitely our great assistant if we can use it wisely✨
Attempted the survey, completed it, no prompt😔