Measure Achievement Backward And Live In The Gain

“The way to measure your progress is backward against where you started, not against your ideal.” – Dan Sullivan

Today I am going to discuss a concept that has changed my life, and it can change yours too.

I recently finished reading for the second time a personal-development book, The Gap and The Gain: The High Achievers' Guide to Happiness, Confidence, and Success, by Dan Sullivan & Dr. Benjamin Hardy. Dan Sullivan is a high-performance coach for entrepreneurs and is the co-founder of Strategic Coach, a coaching program for entrepreneurs. Dr. Benjamin Hardy is an organizational psychologist and best-selling author. If you are looking to level up in life, then read on. 

The following excerpt from the book does a really nice job of summarizing the main concept:

“Most people, especially highly ambitious people, are unhappy because of how they measure their progress. We all have an “ideal,” a moving target that is always out of reach. When we measure ourselves against that ideal, we’re in “the GAP.” However, when we measure ourselves against our previous selves, we’re in “the GAIN.”

Below is a quick snapshot of how to visualize the Gap/Gain concept:

While I have been able to implement this concept in some areas of my life, I haven’t mastered it across the board yet. Personally, I have been prone to “Gap” thinking in the recent past, and it’s a very easy trap to fall into. Allow me to share with you a real-life example with my golf game.

If you and I haven’t had the pleasure of meeting yet, then you may not know this about me: I am an avid golfer. There are few things I love more than spending a summer day on the golf course with friends. I’m a very competitive person, and I really enjoy playing in tournaments. I was introduced to the game by my mom when I was about five years old. However, I didn’t really fall in love with the game until I was about 16. Since I first started playing, I have worked my way through the traditional golf scoring goals – break 100, 90, 80, 70 – and I have checked all of those off the list. I shot 69 for the first time on August 14, 2020, and it was one of the best days of my golf career. My golf handicap index (GHIN) is close to scratch, currently sitting at a 0.5, and scratch is 0. 

Lately, however, I have been felt a bit stuck with my game. I have gotten to a similar spot with my game/handicap the last few summers after shooting some good scores each year. I really want to take my game to the next level, and I know what I need to work on. I’ve just got to execute. It’s easy to get frustrated when we feel stuck, but it doesn’t mean we pack it in and give up. If I measure backward and think about where I started with my golf game at 16 when I began to take it more seriously, and compare it to my game now, I have made tremendous strides. It makes me smile to think about how far I’ve come. This is what living in “the Gain” is all about! 

Enough about me, let’s talk about you. How can you start living in “the Gain” today? I would highly recommend picking up copy of the book, as it will break everything down for you in a very well-organized manner. Below is a quick outline of the book:

Beyond reading the book, we both know that taking action and implementing ideas is a key driver of success in life. I would recommend tracking three wins daily, starting today. These can be defined however you would like. A quick example could be: 1) You knocked out a gym workout in the morning before work, 2) You crushed a big presentation at work, and 3) You stuck to your current nutrition plan all day without any cheat meals. If you write down these wins every day and/or begin discussing your daily wins with a friend/spouse/accountability partner, you will be amazed at the mindset shift that can occur. Pretty soon, you start to realize that you are winning every day, and that you are unstoppable as a human being. Your confidence and happiness will improve. Before you know it, you’ll have shifted your mindset, and you’ll be living in “the Gain.” It may even start rubbing off on others in your circle, and then you can help them level up too. 

I am going to close with one last quote from Dan Sullivan to bring the point home: 

“The GAP & the GAIN is fundamentally about the skill of measuring properly. Anytime you measure any kind of achievement against the ideal, it’s going to produce negative emotions. You may feel defeated, you may feel hopeless, and other emotions may come out. With the GAIN, even if the progress doesn’t match the goal, you are on your way to the goal, and there has been significant progress, and that always gives you a positive emotional hit.” – Dan Sullivan

Now go out and start winning!