The documentary Jiro Dreams of Sushi is something that everyone just beginning their career should watch.

I think there’s a lot of pressure upon graduating from Scripps. We’re told we can do anything, be anyone – find your passion and “go for it” is the message.

But what if we don’t know what we want to do? This was probably the most frequently heard phrase throughout my senior year from my peers and friends. Something that should have been freeing was actually one of the most stress-inducing and overwhelming pieces of advice from that year.

Jiro Dreams of Sushi looks like it’s a documentary about a man who found his passion and found happiness, but his advice tells us otherwise. “Once you decide on your occupation,” says Jiro, “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.”

So it seems that sushi was not Jiro’s predestined “passion”, rather, that Jiro came to sushi with a passion for mastery, dedication, and self-discipline.

So many times in my career, I’ve had colleagues tell me, “This is too hard/stressful/much. I guess I’m not cut out for this.” I’ve said this to myself many times as well. But the reality is that we should not be on some romantic quest to find “our passion”, but to treat each opportunity that comes our way with every bit of focus, dedication, and love as we possibly can.

This key to Jiro’s success can be captured by what Yale psychologist Amy Wrzeniewski defines as the three ways people view their work: a chore to get a paycheck, a career necessary to advance and succeed, or a calling contributing to a greater good.

Which category do you fall in? When I first asked myself this question, I was viewing my job as a career and it immediately became obvious to me what was holding me back. It doesn’t matter what job you might have at the moment; the key is to tie it to your higher calling.

In order to do this, make a list of what motivates you. Is it money? Is it the job title? Is it helping people, being your own boss, buying a house for your parents or achieving independence? It can be several things. Don’t neglect adding things to the list like “money” or “job title” – there’s nothing wrong with being motivated by these things. Just be honest with yourself. For me, top of my list is that I keep learning and be creative in my work – and tying that to my current job helps bring me to my higher calling.

So if you’re a graduating senior worried about finding your passion or even already well into your career feeling like you’re having a mini crisis because you haven’t found your passion yet, know that the people who can tie their jobs to a higher calling are the Jiros of the world.

What motivates you?

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