Writing Lessons from an 85-Year-Old Sushi Chef

My scribble from Jiro's wisdom in the opening minutes of "Jiro Dreams of Sushi."
My scribble from Jiro’s wisdom in the opening minutes of “Jiro Dreams of Sushi.”

Written by Brendan O’Meara

What can an 85-year-old sushi chef teach us about writing? Turns out a lot.

I was listening to the Tim Ferriss Show (a great podcast, by the way) and Ferriss and Ramit SEthi spoke about documentaries they liked. Sethi said Jiro Dreams of Sushi. Sethi loved the singular focus of the central figure, this man named Jiro.

I had some time this afternoon to fire it up and I couldn’t stop watching. In the first ten minutes Jiro, the main sushi chef, said:

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 work. You must dedicate your life to mastering your skill. That’s the secret to success and is the key to being regarded honorably.

This is pure genius.

The man follows a strict routine every day that doesn’t change at all. He seeks improvement every day. His wisdom is so applicable to writing that I had to share it. I’ve been guilty of falling out of love with writing and complaining about it. I’ve been better the last few months because I specifically focus on the work and try to block out everything else. It’s helped and Jiro’s philosophy calcified that stance.

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Beautiful stuff.