I was a graduate of secondary school; I had to wait for admission into the university. Some were lucky they got in immediately, but I had to spend about two years before I got in. this was part of the reason why I had an opportunity to learn a skill.

We had a baker in our church who was formerly a banker. For this reason, being someone, we know my mom approached her first to ask if I could learn under her. She consented easily with discount in the fees. Then, my mom approached me and asked if I was interested and I consented. I went to her house for the first time and saw others she was training. She sat me down and asked me one question. This question still rings in my mind till this day. If you want to learn baking, I will advise that you also consider this question. “Are you passionate about baking?” I said “yes” but that question got me thinking deep. I obviously liked cakes, but I never considered if I had a passion for baking. She warned me about the challenges almost every baker goes through.

After a few months I had an opportunity to bake my first cake. I got my basic equipment and followed the recipe she gave us. It was quite challenging because I have never baked before. I did not have a mixer, so I had to mix manually this was the most challenging part, but I had to encourage myself to keep going. I took the sample cake to my tutor and she praised it. I thought this is how the ride will be throughout. Then came the golden opportunity. Our church decided to do birthday cake monthly to celebrate with the members. My mom volunteered to sponsor it so I can have the opportunity to do the decoration for the first time. I baked the cake and then mixed up the fondant for the decoration. This is where the challenge started.

First, I did not know what design to do. I thought so deep, but I knew I had a limited choice of design I could do as a beginner in decoration. I eventually came up with a design then execution became another thing. I looked at the cake when I finished decorating and it was so full of flaws and imperfections. I expected it to be perfect even if it was my first. I had sacrificed some hours of my night the cake was needed by morning there was nothing else I could do. But I lived with the anxiety that I could not decorate a cake perfectly. From then on, each cake I worked on had a touch of imperfection and I wondered why. Others do not notice this flaw; they only saw the outward beauty; combination of colors and design.

However, I saw the slope, the roughness of the icing on the cake and also technicalities. This affected my productivity as I felt like I could not cope with this work. I wanted to be perfect from the start of my baking journey. I later realized that it was a gradual process of learning, the ability to overcome challenges and growth.

In conclusion, they usually say that a journey of a thousand miles begins with a step. Rome is not built in a day. The driving force that keeps you going is your passion. That is why it is essential to develop a passion for a skill before embarking on the journey.

Hot take: Being "busy" is often overrated. Being effective matters far more.

Beyond Compliance: A Lesson in Trust from My Banking Career

What I Learned From Being Underpaid Early in My Career

MY JOURNEY AS A NEWBIE IN BAKING

Hot take: Being "busy" is often overrated. Being effective matters far more.

Beyond Compliance: A Lesson in Trust from My Banking Career

What I Learned From Being Underpaid Early in My Career

MY JOURNEY AS A NEWBIE IN BAKING