Initial Impressions on the Gap and the Gain

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 I would like to touch on the premise of this book and how it is changing my life.  

In The Gap and The Gain, Dr. Hardy is contrasting two mindsets.  

The gap forces us to compare our present state to where we want to be ideally.  While it is imperative to have goals, this is not the most effective way of measuring progress.  

In the gain mindset, we still set our ideals, but we measure our progress compared to where we were previously.  We cherish and embrace our gains and our frame of reference is the success criteria we have defined for ourselves.

I believe gain thinking fosters fierce work ethic as well as strong internal locus of control.  When we set our goals, we do it with an understanding that we are responsible for our success.  Whatever we set out to achieve will be meaningful for us because it is framed in terms of what we want for ourselves.

I am grateful that Dr. Hardy illuminated the importance of gain thinking.  He quotes Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr., stating, “A mind that is stretched by a new experience can never go back to its old dimensions.”  I know I am changing and will continue to change as I read and reflect on the book.  



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