Shokunin!

Good Morning! I have a story to share with you. Today’s story is all about lifelong learning. Today’s story is from the land of the rising sun. One of the foods in Japan is Sushi, which is not only a food but a culture.

One of the most acclaimed chefs in Japan left his home at the age of 9, just because he wants to learn how to make the world’s best Sushi. The pursuit isn’t stopped there, Chef continues to skill up every day. He is now 96 years old and his achievement is a benchmark. His passion is well complimented by his determination. In one of the interviews, he said his success is nothing but a reflection of his desire to make Sushi better every day. This Chef is fondly called a Shokunin—a person who embodies the artisan spirit of the relentless pursuit of perfection through his craft. To ensure perfection this man devotes his significant time to improvement. And yes the improvement continues at the age of 96 too! – Excellent!

While we speak about improvement, that can be achieved only if we continue to reflect and do changes for the better. Many of you might have heard the word Kaizen - meaning “improvement” or “change for the better.” The concept is one of process, and it is often applied in business settings, like manufacturing and logistics, to ensure constant and never-ending improvement. One can improve things if he/she learns how to the thing’s a better way. This learning is not once but twice, thrice until you achieve perfection. To achieve perfection in things you do, you must work relentlessly. Identify skills you want to upgrade, identify the skills that are outdated and most importantly reflect.

Investing in Kaizen (continuous improvement), helps you to make informed decisions about what’s working and what’s not. The best part is that nothing is coincidental. Everything is backed by outcomes so that you can LEARN AND IMPROVE.