I get home a few nights ago and stroll into the kitchen.

My eyes are immediately taken by a shiny black metallic contraption sitting on our kitchen worktop.  

It looks like my microwave has had a baby with Henry the Hoover.

I glance up.  My girlfriend Lauren has a guilty look on her face.

“What the hell is that?”  I ask.

“It’s our new Ninja Foodie” she chirps. “It has 9 cooking functions”.

And to emphasise the point, she says it again.

“9!”

I fix my eyes on the front of the Ninja Foodie and read out loud: 

“Air crisp.  Pressure cooker.  A grill, roaster and dehydrator.  Sealing.  Steaming.  And…..huh?  That can’t be right.  This last function is called Slow Cook Yoghurt?  How do you slow cook yoghurt?”.

Lauren shakes her head.  “You can slow cook.  Or you can make yoghurt.  It’s either/or. It’s not slow cook yoghurt”.

I chuckle.  “Got it”.

And then Lauren says something which makes my blood run cold:

“You can cook your chickens in the Ninja Foodie now.  No need to use the oven.  We’ll save money on bills”.

Now let me level with you.

I love routine.

And there’s no routine I love more than cooking a chicken.  I’ve got it down to a T.

I turn the oven on at 190C.  Find a deep roasting tin.  A few squirts of oil.  Some salt and pepper.  And cook in the oven for 1 hour 20 minutes.

So the idea of jettisoning this well-rehearsed poultry routine fills me with dread.  It feels like a threat to my very existence.

After all – if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.

But after some gentle encouragement from Lauren I’d like to report…

(drum roll please)

…I’ve now used the Ninja Foodie to cook a chicken!

And by golly gosh it’s been a revelation.

The meat was tender and juicy.  The skin was golden brown and crispy.  And the waft of lemon and thyme which filled my nostrils was like being transported to a herby meat lover's heaven.

It was a clucking good roast chicken. 

And I never would’ve tasted it if hadn’t been for the Ninja Foodie and its 9½ functions.

Of course, there’s a lesson in all this.

Having options is a good thing.  It’s something to relish.

When you experiment with different options, you gather information and opportunities open up.

All of this can help you take your next step.  Whatever that step is for you.

Something to keep in mind if you're making a change in your career.

And I’m not saying try loads of options and dabble in different things.  All I’m saying is this:

Sometimes having options (or finding new options) can feel unnerving.  Like there’s too much choice.

But closing yourself off to options just because they feel unnerving is a mistake.

The more options you have and the more options you find, the more likely you are to find the right option for you.  That’s the bottom line.

And there are always more options than you think.

Would you like a hand figuring out your options?  

If so, check out the link below.

That's all for today.

Catch you tomorrow.

- Tom 

p.s. Whenever you're ready, here are the ways you can connect with me