I’m going to show you how sushi, love, and fitness is a match made in heaven over the next 5 minutes. Ready?
I was scrolling through Netflix for something to watch, when an odd-looking documentary called "Jiro Dreams of Sushi" popped up.
Nothing else caught my eye and I love sushi so I decided to give it a shot.
And after watching it, I can say it’s one of my top 5 movies of all time.
Not because it was some cinematic masterpiece. But because of the incredible story and dedication.
At the time of recording, Jiro was an 85-year-old sushi chef in Tokyo.
He was also revered as the best sushi chef in the world.
The restaurant is a 10-seat, $300 per plate, sushi-only restaurant in a subway station. Yes, you read that last line correctly. A subway station.
Not the location you'd expect for a place that has been awarded a prestigious three-star Michelin Guide rating (The highest honor in the restaurant world.)
The deeper the film got into his story, the more fascinated I became.
Jiro had been making sushi since he was 10 years old. Nothing made him happier than crafting the perfect piece of sushi.
To us, it looks like a piece of fish on a plate. But to him, it’s a work of art.
Even with three Michelin stars, he’s searching out ways to make his sushi better every day.
One thing he mentioned was that he has no plan of retiring. At 85, he's going to continue working until he can't anymore.
And this got me thinking...
This man has fallen in love with the process of making sushi. While the finished product of what he puts on the plate is important, he's constantly trying to make each step along the way, from fish market to the plate, the best it can possibly be.
While this might sound a bit crazy to you (It sure does to me), there's something magical you can take away from Jiro.
He fell in love with the process of becoming the best in the world.
He admits he didn't enjoy making sushi earlier in life but as time went on and he continued to improve as a chef, he fell in love with it.
When he shared this, I thought of the 500+ women I've worked with over the years.
Women who described themselves as "not gym or exercise people," who said they didn't enjoy or even look forward to exercising, and who were ready to quit because nothing worked.
Only to end saying things like, “I love working out and feel like I CAN do anything!”
“This is the first time I’ve enjoyed eating healthy food!”
And “Usually I don't worry about myself as much as I worry about everyone else so this is good for me.”
What Jiro talked about is the secret to long-term results.
Learning to love the journey.
I know it sounds cliche…and it is. But it’s cliche because there’s a lot of truth to it.
If you constantly attach happiness to "when I get there", you'll always feel the gap between where you are and where you want to be.
Yes, you should set long-term goals.
And you should also celebrate what you have accomplished!
Next time you're beating yourself up, think back to where you started. Think of all the amazing wins since then. Think of Jiro.
Your friend and coach,
Ben Miknis
Revitalized
PS I’m running a workshop next Wednesday, July 15 on how to lose 20lbs in 12 weeks (without cardio, counting calories, or going to the gym).
Reply back with “workshop” and I’ll send you the link to reserve your spot 🙂
