The Gap and the Gain
The idea that stayed with me: measure progress from where I started, rather than against an ideal that keeps moving away.
I gave The Gap and the Gain five out of five. The idea that stayed with me is fairly simple: I can measure myself against an ideal I’ll never quite reach, or I can look back at where I started.
The image in my notes is a horizon line. I can move toward it, but I can’t arrive at it. If that’s the reference point I use to judge myself, there’s always going to be a distance left to cover. It’s easy to miss real progress while concentrating on that distance.
Measuring from the starting point makes more sense to me. It gives me a way to notice what has actually improved, rather than only where I’ve fallen short. My notes also apply this to how I judge other people, which seems worth remembering.
Another idea I liked was that I have some ownership over how I tell the story of my past. I can focus only on the shortfall, or look for a lesson, some growth, or a positive takeaway. It’s an idea I want to keep considering.
What I’m taking away is a perspective I found useful: when I’m assessing progress, where am I measuring from?