Re Master your career Masterchef way

"We were ushered into the Educational campus's uninspiring drab kitchen last week to start our Mystery Box Audition challenge. We were the chosen few out of around 7,000 who applied for the 2018 Master chef show".

Briefing complete, on hygiene, kitchen layout, extra utensils, equipment that I had never used and never ever would. Time starts now, we have one hour to complete our dish. 

1. Spring to attention Sally! Take off towel from Mystery Box and there are my ingredients, Quick thinking required, deep breathing. I select the Prawns and Spinach.
2. Move to Pantry, think clearly select what I need, spices, oil, pine nuts, herbs and back to my bench. 
3. Start chopping, remembering they have emphasized the technical condition of this contest. A judge walks behind me, Clip Board at the ready.. she writes. Imagine my chopping is not up to standard. Remember her for future Mindset challenges.
4. Swing around to face the oven and cook top, can't get the burners firing. Needs a light touch. Flame lit, am off with the countdown reducing. I am fine. Get my mantra going... "I love myself, I love cooking and I am loving creating this dish". Important to memorize and repeat during times of stress. And this is now happening. Judge with Clip Board is passing me again. Don't get distracted.
5. Relief my Harissa spices have started to cook, potential here. At worst will have this mixture to show the judges at the end of an hour.
6. Back to circuit of kitchen, need to find strainers and steamers. Time reducing, repeat Mantra, Useful in times of utter despair which is now. Have just burnt a kilo or so of Pine nuts. Forget about the cost, have to get them off the burner and hide before "Clip Board lady' does her circuit past me.
7. Throw them in the sink, too late she has walked past and noted my sin. Race to pantry get another bag of pine nuts and start again. This time they will be gently cooked.
8. Feeling OK again, Mantra working. Look around the kitchen, rest of competitors in different stages of creating and despair. Where am I, sort of OK. Stop thoughts of "why did you think of entering this contest, Idiot". Not good for Mantra and inner self.  Go off to select my presentation plate at the back  of the kitchen. Tell myself remember you are not in David Jones Home wares area, the clock is ticking down, just find a dam plate and move back to your station. 
9. Happy, the Architects daughter has sourced a plate that has form, space and will help create a vision that plating experts will want to Instagram immediately.  Realize when I get back to my bench that the size of my oval white plate could hold food for a family of 10. Well too late as the countdown counts down. I will create a minimalistic look with my Harissa Prawns and Buttered spinach with slowly cooked Pine Nuts.
10. Clip board woman back again. Remember Mantra in these times, it helps. Prawns are cooking 5 minutes to go. Start plating up knowing my minimalistic look will be striking. Lots of white, not much food, but Architect's daughter will  artfully arrange presentation for judges.
11. Time is up. The guy I thought was the Cleaner and now realize is the Producer gleefully tells us to step away from our benches. My plate is a Master Piece of minimalism ready for a global Art Gallery. New exhibition trend, "Tastes good, looks good, all good".
12. Walk up to judges, with the Clip Board lady standing strong in front of me.  Prawns a little undercooked. OK better than overcooked. Proud of my dish, even if there is only enough for a meal for my cat Marais. But it is artfully plated up.
13. Ushered back into dingy hospital green demonstration theaterette. We are all hopeful, so am I. Like to win.  Mantra receding now. Realize if I go forward have to live for months in a house with 20 other hopefuls. No Internet, phone, my business stops. Sleep in a bunk bed with many others... share 3 bathrooms. At home I have 2 for just myself. This is a no brainer, why am I doing this?
14. I am out of my misery. Another  Producer comes in and goes through 6 names. They are going forward, I am not. A bit stunned as my dish was amazing. Gather up my bag, after Producer says this is not personal. We would  love you to come back next year. Love has left my vocabulary and Mantra.
15. Next year I will have to say No to their audition request. Life will be good, I will be good and my Mantra will have turned around to "thank goodness you were Knocked out, that big universe out there was on your side".  

Back to life with 2 bathrooms to choose from 3 bedrooms to sleep in. Internet and phones. Master Chef my life is Bloody good. 

PS.

Find out the Masterful art of Remastering your Career with me. Click on the link below, Select a time to have a chat, the worst is that we Laugh, the best, life is Bloody Good again.

https://calendly.com/creatingencores/free-10-minute-power-coaching-session-with-sally-arnol

Sally Arnold

Creating Encores