Ep.134 - The Gap and the Gain - Navigating Purpose

A few years ago I came across this book by Dan Sullivan called the Gap and the Gain. At the time it was somewhat life changing and continues to hold a theory that I wrestle with today. It's a theory I discuss with the families I work with and even my own kids. Our purpose is a lot like the horizon. It's helpful to figure out your direction and to plan your journey. But you can't reach your purpose any more than you can arrive at the horizon. No matter how far you travel, the horizon will always be far off from where you currently stand. You can use your purpose to shed light on objectives that lie somewhere between you and your purpose, that horizon.

But once you reach your objectives, the purpose will have changed just as the horizon changes, as you move forward, always out of reach. What I found through the book, the gap in the gain, is that in order to measure progress, you have to look backwards against where you started, not against where you at today, or the purpose that you have created today. Your purpose is to help you envision smart objectives. Many of you have probably heard the acronym smart and it stands for specific, measurable, attainable, relative, and time based. The more powerful your purpose is, the more powerful your objectives need to be. The basis of our happiness is in measuring properly and continue to move forward using your powerful purpose to visualize your powerful objectives. Your purpose is like a map. It helps you get to where you want to go, but you shouldn't expect the destination to look like the spot you saw on the map.

It's critical to protect your purpose. One of the best practices that I found is not to use your purpose as your measurement, because if you do, you'll be sadly disappointed. The more you measure the right way, which is by looking back, the stronger your purpose will become. Your purpose doesn't speed up, it doesn't move. That's where it's similar to the horizon. But progress does move. Achievement speeds up and that's an exceptional feeling. Finding happiness will help you as you measure your purpose in the correct way, which is through your objectives and looking back, visualizing, making progress and achieving will produce its own happiness in and of itself.

One final point I want to bring up is how we define enough. It's something I've always struggled with, families I work with, struggle with, and it's something that I'm always thinking about. I think that our frustration with never enough can derive from this feeling of never making progress. By having a purpose that provides direction complemented with measurable objectives, you won't have to rely on anyone but yourself to give meaning and value to your life. As Theodore Roosevelt said, comparison is the thief of joy. But I think what I found in reading Dan Sullivan's book, The Gap in the Gain by measuring your progress, keeps you out of comparison with each other. It helps you measure in the right way, which helps define or helps you find what enough is and thus creates happiness.

As Theodore Roosevelt once wisely remarked, comparison indeed steals our joy. Yet, by embracing Sullivan's approach of measuring progress by looking back, we liberate ourselves from the shackles of comparison. It's about defining "enough" through purposeful progress, steering clear of the perpetual chase for unattainable benchmarks. In essence, finding fulfillment lies not in the comparison with others, but in the journey towards our own meaningful objectives.

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES YOU MAY LIKE

1 Big Idea to Think About

• Measure progress by looking back rather than constantly comparing oneself to an ever-shifting purpose or horizon. This perspective emphasizes the importance of acknowledging and celebrating the distance traveled rather than focusing solely on the distance yet to be covered.

1 Way You Can Apply This

• Regularly reflect on your achievements and progress. Take time to review where you started, the milestones you've reached, and the growth you've experienced along the way. By embracing a backward-looking approach to measurement, you can gain a deeper appreciation for your journey and cultivate a sense of fulfillment in your accomplishments.

1 Question to Ask

• Reflecting on your own pursuit of purpose and progress, ask yourself: How often do I measure my success by comparing myself to others or to an idealized version of my goals? How might shifting my focus to measuring progress by looking back enhance my sense of satisfaction and fulfillment?

Key Moments From the Show 

• Introduction to the concept of the Gap and the Gain (0:00-1:32)

• Explanation of the analogy between purpose and the horizon (1:33-3:15)

• Importance of measuring progress by looking back (3:16-5:45)

• Discussion on the power of purpose in shaping objectives (5:46-8:10)

• Insights on finding happiness through progress and achievement (8:11-10:20)

• Exploration of defining "enough" and avoiding comparison (10:21-12:45)

• Conclusion and final thoughts (12:46-14:10)