From Gap to Gain: The Power of Gratitude

If you paused for a moment now to reflect on the last 90 days of your life,
what word or phrase best describes them?

I’m writing this on the 85th day of 2023. Later this week, we’ll conclude the first quarter of the year.

As you look back on the first quarter, what do you see?

Generally speaking, what’s your initial response?

Do you see a positive trend line— you know, one that’s going up and to the right?

Or do you see a line dipping down?

Or do you see it as steady and neutral?

Sticking with the idea of your first response— what’s more top of mind for you?

• The things that went well?

• Things that didn’t go so well?

• The progress you’ve made?

• The successes you’ve enjoyed?

• The frustrations and disappointments you had?

Success Coach, Dan Sullivan, has a label for this phenomenon. He calls it GAP or GAIN Thinking. Through decades of work with extremely high achieving people, Dan noticed a trend.

When most high achievers are asked about their progress or how things are going now, their first response is to focus on the gap between where they are and where they want to be.

Of all the things they could see, the first thing they see is the GAP.

Honest confession: this is my natural tendency.

I seem predisposed to overlook or minimize all the amazing things that have happened or are happening now. Those things that Dan classifies as GAINS.

• We downplay them.

• We overlook them.

• We forget about all the good things that have happened.

• We undervalue them.

It’s easy to get caught up in the things we don’t have or the goals we haven’t achieved yet.

We become so focused on what we’re lacking that we forget to appreciate the things we already have or accomplished.

Focusing on the GAP can lead to feelings of dissatisfaction, disappointment, and even despair.

Rather than remembering all the amazing things that happened, we ruminate about one, two, or a few things that didn’t go so well.

Ruminating on those things derails you fast and might even send you on a downward spiral.

It doesn’t have to be like that. We can rewire our brains. Gratitude is a profoundly powerful practice to help you.

When we practice gratitude, we shift our focus to the things we do have. We begin to notice the small moments of joy in our lives, the people who support us, and the oppotunities that come in our way.

We start to see the world through a different lens— one that is more positive and hopeful.

When we focus on the GAINS in our lives, we are more motivated to continue that forward progress.

We are reminded of our strengths, our accomplishments, and the progress we’ve made. This helps us feel more confident and capable which in turn, makes us more likely to take risks and pursue our goals.

Gratitude also helps us cultivate a sense of abundance.

When we appreciate what we have, we feel more content and fulfilled. We’re less likely to compare ourselves to others or feel like we’re missing out on something.

Instead, we recognize that we have everything we need to be happy right here and now.

Of course, this doesn’t mean that we should stop striving for our goals or settle for less than we want.

Gratitude doesn’t make you complacent; it allows you to be content.

Being content simply means that we can approach our goals from a place of abundance and gratitude rather than a place of lack and dissatisfaction. We can be grateful for where we are while still working toward where we want to be.

Contentment is one more amazing benefit of the power of gratitude.

Cultivating gratitude is a powerful tool for shifting our focus from the gap between where we are and where we want to be to the gains in our lives.

By regularly practicing gratitude, we rewire our brains to look for and appreciate the positive aspects of our lives. We experience greater well-being when we are more grateful.

Being grateful gets you out of gap thinking and propels you forward to even greater gains. Being grateful is fuel for your tank.

Gratitude opens you up to a world of possibilities and opportunities.

Why not pause now and reflect on the many blessings in your life? Make a list of things— both small and large— that went well this week, month, or quarter.

Give thanks for the gains… and just for a moment, forget about the gaps.