First, it is good to know that it is okay to have a few small lumps in your batter. What you want to avoid is large balls of lumps that result in floury pancakes. So first, you always want to start by separately mixing the dry ingredients, from the wet ones. Next, use a whisk instead of a spoon to slowly incorporate the wet ingredients into the flour mixture. Finally, allow your pancake batter to rest, which in turn will enable most of the flour to soften before cooking.