Picking up a new activity injects new experiences. We gain new perspectives and it affects our way of thinking, how we deal with people and solve problems.

One Saturday, an Italian friend baked a tiramisu cake. It triggered a forgotten distant memory.

My experience of baking my first cake. A new activity I picked up. All by myself. Without attending any classes. No teachers.

Just plain old googling, reading recipes and following instructions.

Lemon drizzle cake — it was a huge success!

Success = Edible and my friends liked it. They had more than once slice

I didn’t think it was difficult. Though I know of friends and relatives who find baking tough.

I mean, googling easy bake recipes and going through the step-by-step process.

How complex can that be?

The Starting Point

I wanted to bring something personal for my friend’s first birthday party in London.

Personal….hm.. homemade?

Cake? I saw a couple of homemade cakes before and from what I heard, it sounded totally doable.

I’m a beginner so I googled “easy cake recipes”.

I wanted a delicious result and people should like it.

So I filtered down my selections to 4–5 stars rating.

“Easy” is relative to individuals.

Hence, I went one step to narrow down to recipes that needed only one hour or less.

From my research, lemon drizzle cake looked like a no-brainer.

This was the recipe: Lemon Drizzle Cake.

Simple detailed instructions, 1 hour baking time and five star reviews from people who have tried it before!

Awesome! My first cake turned out well.

From there, I ventured into the lemon poppy seed cakes, marble cakes, chocolate cakes etc over the next two years…

And throughout my baking journey, I learned three important life lessons.

Short-cuts Are Not Meant For Beginners

As an impatient beginner, I skipped a step of flour sieving.

I thought it wouldn’t matter. The flour looked fine as it is and I could save some time!

Or so I thought.

However, when I tried to mix the lumpy flour with sugar and eggs, it resulted in larger clumps!

In the end, I had to spend a longer time mixing everything together.

Similar to life, taking short-cuts might seem very attractive initially but without the right foundation, it could add in more work later on!

If you aim to achieve your dreams, set yourself up for it.

Get the right groundwork. And everything else can be built on top of it.

Practice Makes Perfect

The old saying, Practice makes perfect rings very true.

For my first cake, embarrassingly, I took three hours starting from 9 in the evening till midnight.

Instead of the one hour stated on the recipe!

What happened was this.

When I was measuring out 200g of sugar on the scale, I intended to save some time (yes, again!) in the preparation process.

Rather than a slow and steady approach, I increased my pouring speed.

I lost control and 300g of sugar ended up on the scale instead. I stopped, spooned back the sugar and remeasured till I got the right reading.

This happened a couple of times.

Initially I took at least double or triple the instructed time. However, I was undeterred.

I set a personal goal of improving my techniques.

To reduce my preparation time with each attempt.

Eventually, I succeeded in keeping within the stated time for a simple recipe.

I proved to myself. Though I wasn’t a natural in baking, mastering a new skill was just a matter of practice.

Practise, practise, practise consistently.

Applying Core Principles

Before I baked my first cake, I was under the impression that baking different cakes were totally different experiences.

I was only half right.

Although steps could differ, but the principles behind each cake is similar.

Right at the start, I felt buying an electric mixer was a big investment for a beginner baker.

Henceforth, I manually stirred everything together most of the times even if the recipe might require a mixer.

After I acquired an electric mixer, I put it to good use for different cakes. Even if the recipe does not include that as a requirement.

I discovered that an electric mixer gives an even mix and introduces more air into the mixture, producing even texture and reducing the likelihood of any clumping.

Baking preparation techniques from one recipe could be applied easily to another similar recipe.

Similarly, what I learned from one experience can be stored as future reference for another.

All in all, I didn’t fall in love with cake-baking.

In fact, I’ve stopped baking for the last two years.

However, I’ve enriched my life with three unexpected valuable life learnings.

And they have continued to be constant reminders.

Keeping me grounded in my day-to-day life.

What have you learned from a new activity you’ve picked up?

I don’t like last minute changes to my plans.

I like to plan things out in advance. To make sure I’m productive and stay focused.

But on 13 September, I broke my own rule.

I decided to be spontaneous. I registered for a ticket without much thinking.

And I attended a Google-organized event: “I Am Tomorrow”, the next day to get some inspiration from other female entrepreneurs and leaders.

The Path Less Trodden

One speaker Sara Usinger, from Germany struck a chord with her story.

A story similar to mine.

Three years ago, against everyone’s advice, she chose to go to Iran to work in a startup accelerator.

An emerging economy where she basically knew no one.

In a country that blocks the use of Facebook, there were no dropbox, no credit cards, no Mailchimp (and more!). She broke the rules by choosing to move to a developing country to join the startup community rather than opting to join a developed startup space.

When I had a moment with her, I was drawn in by her zest for life. She was very proud and excited about her work in Iran. Her eyes sparkled when she told me about the great friends she made and the community she built from scratch.

Her job was very satisfying because there were many hurdles she had to overcome yet she relished the challenges. And became more resilent and acquired experience that she wouldn't have got elsewhere.

Similar to most, she faced fears at the start of her journey. Yet, she persisted, trusted herself and kept to her beliefs. She learned to create opportunities where none existed.

She navigated and successfully integrated herself in a totally different culture.

The fear always exist

Sara's presentation about her journey and her fears reaffirms the fact that fears exist. However, we shouldn't let that stop us from going forward.

What we can do, is to focus on how we can transform this fear into a motivating force when we embark on a new adventure or opportunity. Or when we break the "rules" and insist on going down a path that's less-trodden. Well-meant family and friends who keep safe would warn you of the "dangers" so you would avoid the "worst consequences" of failure.

One question to ask, what's the worst thing that can happen?

Will we die? Will we suffer? What's the maximum possible loss and are we ready to take it on?

Fear is always part of the game. And it always will be. However, it shouldn't become our "braking force".

The fear filter

From young, most of us have been taught to follow the rules. If we follow them, all is good and there are no consequences. However, when we disobey the rules, there are repercussions. Example, being punished when you are late for school. Or being warned about "kidnappers" if we talk to strangers. These "repercussions" tell us there's a behaviour protocol and if we don't stick by it, it's not safe.

When we get older, we are told about the social norms that we've to adhere to. We've to keep our own behaviour in check so we don't rock the boat. If the boat is rocked, the results could be disastrous. For instance, if we disagree with our manager and it's being perceived as rude. Or if we dress differently from what's required at work. We tend to follow the unspoken rules to keep "safe".

Overtime we developed a phobia and a tendency to toe the line.

Is fear even real?

Fear of doing something is not real. It's not an actual threat. It's a filter of how we perceive the external environment.

Fear is when someone is holding a knife to our throat. Fear is when a car is heading at high speed at us. Those are real dangers.

The fear filter causes us to panick at the possibility that we will fail or the prospect of falling short and not meeting expectations.

Nonetheless, we forget life is not about perfection and getting it right 100%. Human beings are never perfect and we make mistakes from time to time. The most important lesson is to learn from our mistakes and pick ourselves up!

When you break the rules, it's doesn't mean you are destined for failure.

“Rules are mostly made to be broken and are too often for the lazy to hide behind”, says Douglas MacArthur.

If breaking the rules means paving a new route, there's nothing to be afraid of.

When Christopher Columbus and his crew crossed the Atlantic Ocean in 1492, he didn't know where they were going. Or if there was even land. But that didn't stop him. His persistence and determination made history.

Behind the fear filter hides opportunities

Each time round when we succumb to fear, we miss the opportunity to learn and become a stronger version of ourselves.

If you break down the barrier of fear, you'll find untapped potential waiting to be uncovered.

Where your true self will shine.

Where you will experience the greatest growth.

I want to hear from you.

Tell me the last time you overcome a fear and what you've learned from it.

On August 13, 2016, Michael Phelps set a new record. He topped the table of Olympian medalists with a grand total of 28 medals, out of which 23 were gold medals. Larisa Latynina, who ranks second in the table is 10 medals behind.

What does the greatest champion of all times possess that sets him apart from the rest?

What lies behind his success in four consecutive Olympic Games?

Is there something I can learn from him that I can apply into my life to create my own version of success?

At a young age of eight, he was already setting his swim goals.

Goal Setting.

During his teens, he even had a five-year streak where he trained every single day, 365 days a year — Sundays, Christmas and Thanksgiving included.

Consistency.

The rationale — by summing up all the Sundays in a year, Phelps would be about 50 training days ahead of his competitors.

Consistency adds up to big impact.

I wrote about how having a purpose can bring meaning to our life and the first step to that is to take action.

This time, I’m going to talk about the most vital part of success that nobody ever talks about.

The boring bits.

I’m not going to lie. It is mundane. And that’s why we seldom hear it being mentioned.

We only hear of the glorified version of entrepreneurship.

Apple was founded in 1976 but it only became a household name in the last 20 years.

“Google” became an official English word in 2006 but Google’s history goes back to 1996.

So what events took place between the point of inception to the point of success?

I call it — “Making-It-Happen” work, MIH for short.

Challenge Behind MIH Work

In MIH work, one wants to move towards the point of success. However, the path is not straight. Undefined and perhaps even curvy. And nope, it’s not signposted.

The rules of MIH is simple — to keep moving forward. That’s it.

However, there’s one huge obstacle.

Newton’s third law can be used to describe this:

For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction.

I have come up with a list of nicknames for this reaction force that’s acting against the forward motion.

Seriously. Yeah.

My List of Nicknames

It’s-not-the-right-time-yet
There’s-always-tomorrow
Fear-of-failure
I’m-not-ready
I-don’t-know-about-this…

I’ve found that the best way to counter this reaction force is to set up a daily routine — the boring crap — that doesn’t exactly pop up in our daily conversations.

Imagine how the dialogue will flow.

Monday

You: “How was your day yesterday?”

Me: “Great, I woke up at 6am, had my breakfast at 6.30am and left my flat. I was behind my computer from 9am to 6pm. I reached home at 7pm, cooked my dinner, watched “Games of Thrones” and went to bed.”

Tuesday

You: “How’s your day going?”

Me: “Awesome, I got up at 6am, had my breakfast and left for work. I only left at 6pm. I reached home at 7pm, had my dinner, read a book and was knocked out by 10pm.”

…

…

Friday

You: “How’s your week been?”

Me: “Fantastic! I’ve been up at 6am everyday and I crack on by 9am. That’s when I’m most productive. Between 9am-6pm. I was mostly back home before 8pm, grab my dinner, watched a film to relax and typically I would be asleep by 10pm.”

I think you’ve got my point. Nobody likes to hear repeated stories. It’s monotonous. Dull. Uninteresting.

Everyone believes there’s something special about the hero’s journey. Something extraordinary that’s beyond the average man.

The Real Story

Sorry to burst the bubble.

Daily grind is the real story behind the route to success.

If you want to be a successful entrepreneur, you keep working on it to create an awesome product. If you want to be a successful marathoner, you clock up the daily miles. If you want to be a successful best-selling author, you write a couple of chapters everyday.

The focus here is dedication —setting up a routine and pouring in time and effort to execute those actions.

To get you from Point Inception to Point Success.

My point is, setting up a daily process — something as simple as waking up at the same time every day. To spend an hour or two on the activities that will make you more skilled, more knowledgeable and move you towards your personal success.

That’s what creates a success story.

The hype around instant success

Nonetheless, there's little awareness about the actual hard work, sacrifices and effort that are poured in to create that success.

People who aren't successful yet doesn't get featured on Forbes. Nobody interviews folks who doesn't have an impressive result slip.

There is nothing exciting and interesting to report and sensationalized. We see alot of "success stories" where people start from zero to get to where they are today.

That's "exciting". It's news-worthy. People are inspired and interested to learn more about the transformation journey. The journey where "the fairy godmother transform Cinderella from rags to a gorgeous lady and met the charming Prince".

Failures are typically condensed into a couple of paragraphs. While the success are hyped up and more talked about.

It's no wonder most people underestimate the amount of effort and obstacles needed to get to Point S.

Every expert was once a beginner

Before Michael Phelps became one of the legends of the Olympic Games, he was scared of water. He only dreamt of becoming a champion when he was eleven.

After three years of training, Phelps finally made the U.S. National B Team (not the A team!).

It was about another year before he set his first world record.

From the initialisation of his dream to achieving his dream, succcess didn't happen overnight. It took years of mundane work.

Years of patience and discipline to build up the skills to compete at that international level. And eventually it paid off!

What you need to succeed

If you want to succeed, stop procrastination and increase your productivity.

And build your patience and develop focused self-discipline.

• Patience is the attitude to adopt when you don't see immediate results and things are not going as planned.
• Self-discipline is the quality of being able to behave and work in a directed way even when there are external interferences and distractions.

Both discipline and patience produces consistency that will more likely produce your desired result.

Someway. Somehow.

Even if you might not get your dream result, I can assure you, your skills will improve by leaps and bounds.

Because you invested time and effort into improving yourself. You're going to become stronger and better than before.

Make-it-happen (MIH) work is not solely about achieving success. It's also about making things happen in your life.

Quote from American self help author, Robert Collier says it best.

Success is the sum of small efforts, repeated day in and day out.

Before success arrives, focus on your MIH work. It doesn't attract a huge load of fanfare but it's the phase that tests your resilience and reveals how badly you want to achieve your goals.

The most vital part of success that's seldom highlighted

Those late nights, the days you feel things are more difficult than usual or when things doesn't take place as planned and expected.

The make-it-happen phase is a helluva roller coaster ride and it's hard to hang on. Nonetheless, hang in there.

When you manage to hang on till the end of the ride, success is within your reach.