Have you read the book “The Gap and the Gain” by Dan Sullivan and Benjamin Hardy? It’s a good one, and today my mentor, Leah Davidson, shared a very helpful way she applies the principles in this book with her clients who are suffering with brain injuries. I want to share these ideas with you.
The basic underlying idea of the gap and the gain is that the way we choose to measure progress makes a significant difference in our perception of that progress and therefore our motivation to continue forward.
For instance, let’s say we have set a goal that we are working towards. It’s a big goal and seems far away, but we’ve been working at it for a while. If we turn around and look at how far we’ve come, we will likely feel excited and inspired to continue that forward momentum. If, however, we never look back and acknowledge the progress we’ve made, and instead only look at how far we have to go to achieve our goal, then we will be stuck in the ‘gap’ and feel discouraged at how far we have yet to go. It’s a mental game and a choice as to where we put our focus.
Obviously, we want to look towards our goal and keep our ‘eye on the prize’ but when we are measuring progress, it behooves us to look back and see the gains we’ve made and how far we’ve come.
The caveat for this in relation to people dealing with injuries (head injuries or otherwise), is that we need to focus that backward-looking and comparing to how far we’ve come since the injury — as opposed to comparing our current self to our pre-injury self. There will always be something positive to acknowledge in a day as compared to a previous one. And in looking forward, it is important to not necessarily have the aim be a future self that is exactly like the pre-injury self, but instead to have that future self goal be something/someone you’re choosing to create.
So, who do you want to be? What do you want to create? As you navigate your way towards those goals, remember to take the time to look back and acknowledge, celebrate, and rejoice in the progress you’ve made, no matter how minuscule it may seem. Those little wins are so important — they add up, and recognizing them really does impact your mental health and the joy that’s available to you on this journey.
Go focus on those gains!
Love,
Bethany