378: A Powerful Mindset Tool To Achieve Your Goals Faster

The Power of the Gap and the Gain: Transform Your Running and Your Life

In this week's episode, we explored a game-changing concept that has the potential to improve not just your running but every area of your life—The Gap and the Gain. Originally introduced by Dan Sullivan and Dr. Benjamin Hardy in their book The Gap and the Gain, this approach can completely shift your perspective, leading to greater satisfaction and performance in both running and life.

What is the Gap and the Gain?

The Gap and the Gain describe two contrasting ways to measure progress and success. When you're in "the Gap," you focus on the distance between where you are now and your ideal goal. This often leaves you feeling frustrated or discouraged because you're fixated on how far you still have to go. In contrast, "the Gain" shifts your focus to how much progress you've already made from your starting point. By celebrating your wins, this mindset encourages growth and satisfaction, helping you stay motivated on your journey.

How It Applies to Running

As runners, we often get stuck in the Gap—constantly measuring ourselves against an ideal pace, distance, or personal record. It’s easy to feel frustrated when your current ability seems far from where you want to be.

Take the example of someone training for a marathon while currently running 5Ks. If you focus solely on the Gap, the thought of needing to cover an extra 23 miles can feel overwhelming. This can drain your motivation and lead to self-doubt.

However, if you shift your focus to the Gain, you start to appreciate how far you've come—from not running at all to being able to complete a 5K regularly. This positive reinforcement not only boosts your confidence but makes the process more enjoyable, helping you stay energized and motivated to keep improving.

Breaking Free from the Gap Mentality

Most of us spend a lot of time living in the Gap, always chasing the next goal and never feeling fully satisfied. In running, this can lead to overtraining, burnout, or even injuries as we push ourselves too hard to close the gap between where we are and where we want to be.

By shifting to a Gain mindset, we can celebrate our progress and wins, adopting a healthier and more sustainable approach to training. Instead of constantly chasing an ideal that keeps moving, we find fulfillment in how far we’ve come. This change in focus allows for more balanced growth and helps avoid the frustration and disappointment that often come with living in the Gap.

On our podcast, we shared a story of a high school cross-country runner who was determined to break the 30-minute barrier in her 5K. At first, she fixated on the Gap between her current times and her goal, which only increased her pressure and stress. As a result, her performance suffered.

When she started focusing on the Gain—how much she had already improved—she was able to approach her races with greater confidence and less anxiety. This mindset shift led to better performances, as she was no longer weighed down by feelings of inadequacy but fueled by pride in her progress.

The Gap and the Gain Beyond Running

The beauty of this concept is that it’s not just for running—it applies to every aspect of life.

• In Relationships: Instead of focusing on the ways others fall short (Gap), we can appreciate their positive contributions (Gain).
• In Finances: Rather than stressing over not having enough for certain luxuries (Gap), we can feel proud of the financial stability and progress we’ve already achieved (Gain).

Ultimately, the Gap and the Gain are about where you choose to focus your attention. Do you look at how much further you have to go, or do you celebrate how far you've already come? While striving for excellence is natural, constantly living in the Gap can drain your energy and joy. The real power comes when you can shift back to focusing on the Gain, where you'll find motivation, satisfaction, and sustained growth.

We encourage you to read The Gap and the Gain by Dan Sullivan and Dr. Benjamin Hardy for more insights on this powerful concept!