I just finished reading Dan Sullivan and Dr. Benjamin Hardy’s book, 10x Is Easier Than 2x, and it blew me away. I planned on writing a few blogs covering all I learned, but the first observation to hit home is that a lot of us spend time comparing ourselves against things we haven’t accomplished vs. how far we’ve come. This trap, what Sullivan calls the “gap,” can set us up for a life of misery. He contrasts this pessimistic outlook with an approach focused more on how far we’ve come (the “gain”). We all fall somewhere along this gap vs. gain continuum. I looked in the mirror and found that I’ve been in the gap most of my life, and consequently, never happy after achieving a goal. It’s always about “what’s next?” and never enjoying the moment. Candidly, any entrepreneur, especially in the start-up stage, is probably best in a natural state gap mindset. Too much gain thinking early on can happily auger a business right into the ground.
As we approach the end of 2025 and start planning for the new year, I am going to do my best to become more of a gain-oriented thinker. I don’t think it’s going to be easy because I’m extremely competitive, and it’s going to be hard to undo a lifetime of natural state “gap” thinking. Sullivan’s research is a big motivator. He’s found after coaching thousands of entrepreneurs over the last five decades that gap thinkers are much more likely to be dissatisfied and unhappy in their lives. Who wants that? Certainly not me. Here are Sullivan’s top five gap vs. gain opportunities we’re implementing inside Livewire for 2026. Perhaps there’s something to glean for use inside your own integration business:
- Always measure backward before you measure forward: Start by comparing where you are now to where you were, not where you think you should be.
- The gap creates dissatisfaction; the gain creates confidence: Living in the gap fuels anxiety. Living in the gain fuels momentum.
- High standards do not require self-punishment: You can want more and acknowledge progress at the same time.
- The gap is infinite; the gain is measurable: The ideal future never arrives. The gain is always real and countable.
- Review wins before identifying gaps: Reviews should always start with gains before addressing gaps.
As we acknowledge progress, we’re much more likely to motivate others using positive reinforcement vs. the negativity of talking about what we haven’t accomplished. As we move into 2026, what will you do to mentally shift away from the gap and into the gain?
Stay frosty, and see you in the field.
