Coffee Contemplation: Bite Sized Better
An Ikigai Story
Audio narration by David Marlow
For Patrick O'Connell, it was an unlikely journey to becoming one of the most highly decorated chefs in the world.
After graduating college with a degree in drama and no formal training as a chef, he and his then-business partner started a catering business.
Six years later, they started a restaurant in an old gas station that only three weeks after launching, was hailed by a Washington DC food critic as “the best restaurant within 150 miles of Washington D.C."[5][6]
Forty-five years and numerous awards later the Inn at Little Washinton is regarded as one of the finest restaurants in the world.
O’Connell, the self-taught chef has been referred to as "the Pope of American Cuisine" and along with numerous Michelin Stars won the Lifetime Achievement award from the prestigious James Beard Foundation in 2019.
Connection to Ikigai
When asked how he stays motivated after over 40 years as the owner and chef of the Inn at Little Washington he replied,
“All you have to do is whatever you did yesterday and make it a teeny weenie bit better.”
Here’s a guy who achieved culinary greatness right away and now 45 years later has stayed focused on serving his customers at that same high level without a loss of enthusiasm.
And he does it by seeking to be just the smallest bit better than yesterday.
He's been doing the same or similar thing for decades and yet still reaching for that one step of improvement.
I have studied people who accomplish routine (and sometimes repetitive) jobs like food service with superior quality and service levels, and this is a common theme.
A focused effort to be a little better each day.
Being a chef is exciting in some ways. At the same time, he's been preparing the same meals day after day after day for 45 years.
He's maintained this level of enthusiasm by focusing on being a little better each day. Again, I’ve found that to be a common theme of people who have been able to do the same work for many, many years.
🌀 Here's your coffee contemplation:
What lessons do you take from O’Connell’s story? From his quote?
How might this apply to your own Ikigai?
Quest well.
I'm focused every day on not declining further