Don't judge the first pancake

I recently did some painting in my dining room. I am not an experienced painter, but it was just a small section that needed patching, and so wasn’t too daunting. After I did the first coat, however, I started to worry that the new paint wasn’t going to blend very well with the old paint, and was questioning if I was using the right paint, if I had used the wrong technique, the list goes on. (As I said, not an experienced painter.)

Then I remembered something important: Don’t judge the first pancake.

If you have ever made pancakes, you will know that the first pancake is never representative of the whole batch. It takes longer to cook, often isn’t shaped right, maybe doesn’t puff up the way you want. But then as if by magic (or food chemistry), the subsequent pancakes become more uniform and evenly cooked.

What if, instead, we assumed that first pancake was an indicator of what was to come? We probably would toss the whole batch in a fit of discouragement. Or berate ourselves for being a terrible cook. Or apologize to others for creating a ‘bad’ meal.

Thankfully, when we can remember not to judge the first pancake (literally or figuratively), we don’t fall into these traps. But of course, there are so many other places in life where we maybe do make the erroneous assumption that our first effort is the best it will get. For example, anyone ever questioned themselves after meeting with a client or doing a presentation or creating a website for the first time?

What if, instead, we assumed that first effort was just our first pancake? And trusted that the next ones will come together more easily?

That could probably make a helpful difference.

And by the way - my second coat of paint blended in seamlessly with the old paint. So if painting resonates more for you than pancakes, here is an alternative metaphor: Don’t judge the first coat of paint.