Very few movies come along that impact me as powerfully as
the documentary Jiro Dreams of Sushi.
How can an 85 year old man, with a restaurant seating 10
people, receive the highest possible rating from Michelin, charge $365 a meal,
and serve nothing but sushi? That's right, no appetizers, no desert, no side
dishes, just sushi.
Sushi is all you’re getting.. and sushi is all you'll want.
Jiro has been deemed by experts to be the best sushi chef in
the world. How good? A 3 star rating from Michelin is reserved for restaurants
where the food is so good that it is, “Worth traveling to the country just to
eat there.”
But that is only part of what makes Jiro Dreams of Sushi an
interesting story.
How this man developed a reputation for the best sushi in
the world is where this story gets very interesting.
Early in his difficult life, Jiro threw himself into
becoming the very best sushi chef he could possibly be. He never set out to
become the best in the world, or become rich. However, those extraneous things
happened as a result of doing his very best every single day. Hence the title
of the documentary; desiring to improve his skills every day led him to,
"Dream about sushi."
Here are some quotes from the chef himself and one from his
son:
“ Once you decide on your occupation… you must immerse
yourself in your work. You have to fall in love with your work. Never complain
about your job. You must dedicate your life to mastering your skill. That’s the
secret of success… and is the key to being regarded honorably.”-Jiro Ono
“I've never once hated this job. I fell in love with my work
and gave my life to it. Even though I'm eighty five years old, I don't feel
like retiring. That's how I feel.”-Jiro Ono
“Always look ahead and above yourself. Always try to improve
on yourself. Always strive to elevate your craft. That's what he taught
me."- Yoshikazu Ono
"I do the same thing over and over, improving bit by
bit. There is always a yearning to achieve more. I'll continue to climb, trying
to reach the top, but no one knows where the top is."-Jiro Ono
Now, to be fair, you'll see that this kind of intense
striving can lead to some poor fathering. He admits that he was not a good
father. However, despite this fact, both of his sons have taken up their old
man's craft, and pursue it with similar enthusiasm.
Do you know anyone with a similar dedication to their craft?
I do. My wife is a dental hygienist and an instructor at a college, training
dental hygiene students. While she never dedicated so much time that she came
close to putting her craft above her duties as a mother, she was always
improving, always wanting to be better, and wanting to stay abreast of the
latest research and techniques. I love this about her. I don't get it, (why
someone would be so interested in teeth and the mouth with that kind of
dedication)… but I love it.
Many years ago, I figured out that most of the people who
turn out to be interesting are usually those who are interested in excelling at
something. What do you excel at? Do your customers and coworkers perceive you
to be dedicated to excellence?
Whether they do or don't, know this: It is never too late to
become seriously dedicating to doing something every day, improve what you
offer, what you know, or how you serve.
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Editor's Note: This article was written by Dr. David Mashburn. Dave is a Clinical and Consulting Psychologist, a Partner at Tidemark, Inc. and a regular contributor to WorkPuzzle. Comments or questions are welcome. If you're an email subscriber, reply to this WorkPuzzle email. If you read the blog directly from the web, you can click the "comments" link below.
