Watching Jiro Dreams of Sushi, I was in awe of Jiro Ono’s discipline. At 85 years old in the documentary, he had been dedicated to his craft since childhood, running a three-Michelin-star restaurant in Japan and achieving undeniable greatness. What fascinated me most about Jiro was his relentless commitment to his work, his work ethic, and his discipline. He followed the same routine every single day, down to walking through the same ticket line at the train station.
This reminded me of Michael Jordan. In the book Winning by Tim Grover, there’s a story about Jordan’s meticulous game-day routine. One day, Grover laced Jordan’s shoes for him, and Jordan had to take them off and do it himself because every part of his process mattered. Jiro approaches sushi with the same level of precision. He tastes the fish throughout the day, and if it doesn’t meet his standards, it’s not served. His sushi is incredibly simple yet packed with flavor, proving that less is more.
What stood out to me the most was Jiro’s humility. Even at 85, he was still searching for ways to improve. That mindset, always believing there’s room to grow, is something we can all learn from, no matter our craft.
In the documentary, Masahiro Yamamoto, a food critic and writer, describes the five qualities of a great chef:
- Take work very seriously
- Aspire to improve their skills
- Maintain cleanliness
- Be impatient, stubborn and persistent in their vision
- Be passionate
These traits don’t just apply to chefs. They apply to greatness in any field. Michael Jordan embodied these same qualities. He took his work seriously, was obsessed with improvement, was known for keeping his space clean, had an unshakable will to win, and was deeply passionate about basketball. Like Jiro, he worked relentlessly, to the point where even holidays felt like a distraction from his purpose.
This documentary was incredibly inspiring. It reinforced the idea that mastery is a lifelong pursuit. Jiro still doesn’t consider himself a master, and maybe that’s the key. True greatness comes from never believing you’ve arrived, but always striving to be better.
