One Step at a Time

Photo: Blake Bronstad @posesawkwardly

Goals Are Not the Goal

Wait, what? We’re halfway through January, and you haven’t accomplished any of your goals yet?

January has always been a time of wintering for me so now I just accept that I’ll start kicking into gear sometime in February. Does that mean I just chill during January? Not totally, but I take a one small step at a time approach with the emphasis on small, tiny, imperceptible steps.

And that brings me to today’s Journal entry. It’s a true story, and one I hope will inspire you as it does me.

Saturday Morning Revelation

On an early morning run last month, I saw the lights of local fave, Oat Bakery, illuminating the dark skies. I didn’t expect to see owners Lou or Louise because I knew Louise’s family from Denmark was visiting.

Yet, there they were, pre-dawn on a Saturday, just the two of them baking away getting ready for the Farmer’s Market rush.

Last week they posted some pictures to commemorate the 5-year anniversary of their business. Take a look at these and what do you see? How do you feel?

Hard at work, yet smiling — 5am on a dark, December morning.

What Instagram Can Teach Us

Pictures of a beautiful couple with their oh-so-charming bakery could make one believe that it was simple. Just put up a sign, and the community will respond a la build-it-and-they-will-come theory.

We all know Instagram is deceiving, yet...

Yet, how often have we fallen for the, they have it easier, they are so lucky, they have everything going for them thoughts?

Are we even conscious of these thoughts or do they lie in the recess of our brain? Maybe all we are aware of is that we feel annoyed, anxious, or frustrated that we are not living up to our own hopes and dreams. But then we scroll on without further examination of where those subtle feelings come from nor do we learn from their messages. Because that’s what emotions do, they give us valuable insight.

Dreaming is Easy, Action is Hard

I assure you, Lou and Louise had no idea what they were doing back in 2017 when they started. At the time, they were trying to come up with ways to get their bread out to people. Maybe sell it at schools? Create a CSA-style drop-off? Sell in local markets?

The first time I met Louise and Lou, I could feel something magical about them so asked for a photo (or maybe I’m just psychic and knew they were special, haha :)

They tried everything. Pop-ups in people’s homes, downtown, and at businesses a little farther out. They drove regularly up to the wine country to sell their bread there. They started with a card table, some cute aprons, baskets, table cloths, their delicious bread, and good ol’ determination; a physical bakery was but a nascent dream back then.

One time the sourdough starter over-proofed and 5 gallons of gooey, sticky, fermented flour had to be scraped off the counters and floors before they could restart a new batch. The delivery van limped. The oven broke. They had to learn local health codes and insurance and payroll taxes, not to mention hiring and firing and team building. Many mistakes were made, and I’m sure self-doubt crept in on more than one occasion. What are we doing? Is it worth all this anguish?

But they persevered. One step at a time. Sometimes small steps, sometimes big ones.

Seeing the Entire Journey is Too Overwhelming

If someone would have told Lou and Louise what they were in for 5 years ago, they might not have signed up for this adventure. Knowing the whole journey is too overwhelming — that’s why we are shown one step at a time.

The only problem is our culture of instant gratification -- we want it all, and we want it now! We want it all done and tied up with a bow -- effortless, Instagram worthy, and certainly successful!

Life doesn’t work like that and neither does following your dreams.

And to think, Louise didn’t move to the United States until she was an adult. How many of us Americans aren’t out there following our dreams when we have the added benefit of English being our first language?

And this Dane has done it TWICE! In addition to co-founding Oat Bakery, Louise and Lou recently opened a pop-up gallery for Louise to sell her art. Yeah, she’s a painter, too!

Did she succumb to self-doubt? Potential criticism or embarrassment if none of her paintings sold?

Nope, she found a location right on the main drag in town, rented it for a month, collaborated with some other local artists, hung up a shingle, and threw a super swank opening night celebration! She put herself out there. She took risks.

January is Not Special

So who cares if it’s the middle of January, and you haven’t transformed your life, much less begun?! Louise and Lou had many mid-January moments—so far 5 in the history of their bakery.

Showing up every day and taking those small steps, even if they are more grind than glory, even if that means getting up before 5am which means you have to forgo the party or NetflixNChill the night before, even when you’re making mistakes and feel like you’re taking two steps backward for every step forward.

One step at a time is good enough, even small imperceptible steps are good enough. Achieving our goals is not the goal. The path is the point or as Steve Jobs famously said, The Journey is the Reward.

Thank you, Louise and Lou, for being a constant source of inspiration to me and your many adoring fans! Oh, and your breads and spreads are DELICIOUS, too!

If you visit, Santa Barbara, an Oat Bakery visit is a must!

If you are feeling stuck, run down or have lost sight of your dreams then contact Ascended Presence today. Ascended Presence offers online psychic readings, life intuitive coaching, active meditation and grounding and energy management courses to help you discover your inner self and change your life.