Be your own MasterChef ? Cut the apples!

A few days ago, I was watching the 4th episode of season 2 of the TV show MasterChef. In this episode, the top 38 amateur chefs prepare to prove their cooking skills. The judges (Gordon, Joe and Graham) reveal the apple challenge: a big truck pulls up to the studio, the tension and anticipation apparent in the cooks? faces. The rear door of the track opens slowly, and thousands of green apples dramatically slide out. Each cook is asked to peel and slice apples as professionally as they can, using their cutting skills, until asked to stop. They sweat, the bleed, they suffer, their hands hurt but they work through it, determined to achieve their goal of winning the challenge.

I’m sure it wasn’t what they expected! In their dreams, they probably thought they?d use exotic ingredients to cook a wonderful smelling intricate dish to show off their skills.

Instead, they simply have to cut apples ? some of them for up to 2 hours. No matter what your profession is, you too have to ?cut the apples? ? put in the time to do the basic work that will get you where you want to go, even if it’s not the most pleasant work or what you had in mind.

If they don’t perform consistently and professionally ? they lose the challenge.

It reminds me of how I was years ago.

My business was small and I didn’t know how to make it more successful. I was working hard at what I thought was important ? serving people, helping them heal, teaching them, but I wasn’t willing to really ?cut the apples?.

I wasn’t willing to sell my business and market myself. That was outside my comfort zone. I didn’t want to do the groundwork: mange my bills, do paperwork, network, prepare new content for my website, send out emails etc. Once I realized I was neglecting this (less beautiful) part of my business, I began to ?cut the apples? and my business grew.

I have a client who is building a small business. She doesn’t want to send follow-up emails. She doesn’t want to tell people what she’s doing. She doesn’t want to cut the apples.

I have another client who is a full time mom. She hates running errands. She doesn’t like to cook. She doesn’t want to cut the apples.

I have a client who is a vice-president of a big company. She doesn’t want to confront some of her employees and fire one of them. She doesn’t want to cut the apples.

Three women in very different circumstances, all facing the same problem: unwillingness to do the dirty work. Once we identified what their ?apples? were, they were able to move past these issues and closer to their ideal life.

Want to release your blocks? Do the groundwork. Whatever it is: taking care of the mail, filing, cooking, running errands.

Be the MasterChef of your life.

Write in the comment area: what apples are you willing to cut today?