What I Learned at the CIA

Hi Tim.

A couple of days ago I drove Joella to the CIA.

Not spy central in Langley. But chef central in Hyde Park. She's going to culinary school up there.

The Culinary Institute of America. They call it ‘The Culinary’.

I learned a little bit about cooking while there. On that campus, in that environment, you can’t but help it. But that’s not what I want to share with you.

I want to share with you something else I learned.

It’s called a ‘Carrot Chopping Attitude’.

Allow me to explain.

Every student must go through an externship. For 5 months they must work in the kitchen of a chef to get real world experience. So one student, we’ll call him Joe, decided to work under a world renowned chef. It was a once in a lifetime opportunity for Joe.

Joe was excited about his opportunity. But he was also very nervous. This was a BIG TIME chef. And he didn’t want to screw it up. If he excelled for the next 5 months he was a lock for any kitchen he wanted to work in.

So a little nervous showing up on the first day, the Chef came over to his station, dropped a 50 pound bag of carrots in front of him and said, “I need 50 pounds of carrots with a perfect brunoise cut!”

Now, if you’re not up to speed on your chopping terms, a brunoise cut is the smallest of cuts. It’s a little, itty-bitty cube. 1/8 x 1/8 x 1/8 of an inch. It’s tiny!

Not overly enthused Joe got to work and started chopping. And chopping. And chopping. And chopping.

Six hours later he finished the 50 pounds of carrots. He felt pretty good about it. So he presented them to the Chef.

The Chef looked at them. Inspecting them for a minute…then with a handful, throws them in the trash. “Not good enough. You can go home now.”

Joe went home a little defeated as you can imagine. He almost felt like he was dead in the water. But he woke up the next morning positive and ready for work. The Chef comes over to Joe’s station and again drops 50 pounds of carrots and says, “I need 50 pounds of carrots with a perfect brunoise cut!”

Joe gulps and prevents his jaw from dropping to the floor. He musters up some energy and says, “You got it Chef!”

So again, Joe got to work and started chopping. And chopping. And chopping. And chopping.

This time he finished the 50 pounds of carrots in five and half hours. And he felt better about his cuts this time. So he confidently presented them to the Chef.

Again the chef checks them out. Looking at them, studying them in his hand he says, “These are worse than yesterday.” And he throws them away.

Now Joe really feels beaten. And again, as you can imagine, goes home defeated.

On the third morning Joe wakes up and says to himself, “If I have to chop more carrots I will have the BEST cuts ever!” He pumps himself up and reports to the kitchen hoping he doesn't have to chop more carrots.

Sure enough the Chef comes over to Joe, drops 50 pounds of carrots in front of him and says, “I need 50 pounds of carrots with a perfect brunoise cut.”

So Joe goes to work. Chopping. And chopping. And chopping.

He finishes quicker than yesterday. Just five hours this time. And he feels even better about his cuts than yesterday. Chef comes by, looks at them closely and says, “These are the worst yet!”

Now Joe feels down and out. Thoughts of quitting of becoming a chef all together enter his mind. But with some friendly support and his burning desire to be a top chef he presses on.

This goes on for the next four days. His first full week Joe gets quicker and quicker at chopping 50 pounds of carrots. His cuts get better and better. But the Chef still says they’re not good enough.

On the eighth day the Chef comes over to him and says, “No more carrots. You’re knife skills are really good. You’re assisting me today.”

A smile beamed across Joe’s face like a kid on Christmas day. But a little confused he asks the Chef, “For the last seven days you said my cuts weren’t good enough. Why do I get to work beside you all of the sudden?”

The Chef says to Joe, “Would you like to know one of my secrets to success?”

“Yes! What is it Chef?” asks Joe.

“One of the secrets to my success is persistence. My entrées, menus, and restaurants don’t become great without persistence. And because of your attitude and persistence you get to work beside me. I now know you won’t give up. When you fail you won't go home crying. You’ll press on.”

Joe went home feeling victorious! He felt great. And more confident than ever. His hard work and persistence paid off. And he learned a BIG lesson.

I think you get the moral of the story. Hard work and persistence pays off. Always. You reap what you sow. And I hope you agree.

Chopping carrots into a brunoise cut is no fun. And sometimes, maybe all of the time, working out or eating right isn’t either. Even I can admit that. But if you consistently workout (no less than 3x/week) and eat right (5-6 smaller, balanced meals) and you put forth some effort (actually work up a sweat – walking the dog is activity, not working out) then You WILL reach your goals. You WILL get the body you want. You WILL feel good about yourself.

I keep a quote from Calvin Coolidge right in front of my desk. It reads like this…

“Nothing in the world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent. The slogan Press On! has solved and always will solve the problems of the human race.”

Doesn’t that make you feel good!? Doesn’t that make you feel like you can accomplish anything? I love it. It empowers me. It makes me feel like I have an edge on everybody.

Because I know I’m NOT the smartest. I know I’m NOT the quickest. I know I’m NOT the strongest. But guess what? I don't have to be. Nor do you. And I’ll bet my bottom dollar that I’ll persevere longer than the other guy.

Keep this in mind as you move towards your health and fitness goals. You’re smart enough to know you can’t lose the pounds overnight. You can’t tighten and firm up those areas in a couple days. Your blood pressure and cholesterol levels won’t drop by next week.

And you will likely hit some speed bumps. If you notice in the story the Chef says, “When you fail you won't go home crying.” Not if you fail, but when you fail.

That’s why perseverance is so important. That’s why you must ‘PRESS ON’. Whether it’s 12 weeks or 12 months…YOU can do it! In July's newsletter you can read how Tom Prost is doing it. Kristi Shields is doing it. Mark, Shirley, John, Jim, Debbie, Tammy, and so many others have already DONE it. (If you're not getting the Richly Rewarding Living Newsletter sign up for free here.)

If you would like help sticking to your program or would like a coach to help support, motivate, and empower you, request a complimentary consultation here. You don’t have to go at this alone. We’re here to help!

And remember to keep a positive attitude and always, always PRESS ON!

To your perseverance,

Tim

P.S. Summer is quickly coming to an end. Camps are ending and kids are going back to school. We'll have some exciting back-to-school stuff come next month. So keep your eyes peeled!