Mind the Gap or Celebrate the Gain

If you've ever been on the London Underground, you've heard the phrase: Mind the Gap. But have you ever thought about how often you focus on the gap between where you are and where you want to be—rather than recognising the gain of how far you've already come?

I’ve been thinking about this a lot lately, especially after reading The Gap and The Gain by Dan Sullivan and Dr. Benjamin Hardy. The concept is simple but powerful: we often measure ourselves against our future goals (the gap), leaving us feeling like we’re always falling short. Instead, we should shift our perspective to see how much progress we’ve made (the gain).

Take social media, for example. I finally took the plunge and posted on @kateslatterwellness on Instagram. My follower count went from 4 to 67. My first thought? That’s still tiny. But then I stopped myself—wait a minute.

I went from never posting a reel to figuring it out. I learned how to share a story (even if the first one was an accident). My ‘annual’ private post rate has turned into regular content. And most importantly, I’m having a go!

A few months ago, this felt like a tech jungle I didn’t know how to navigate. Now, I’m in it, learning, experimenting, and showing up. That’s not a gap to stress over—it’s a gain to celebrate!

Are You Stuck in the Gap?

We do this all the time. We set a goal, move toward it, and instead of celebrating progress, we shift the goalpost and only see what’s left to do. Whether it’s health, career, relationships, or personal growth, we get so caught up in future projection that we forget past reflection.

Imagine you’re on a fitness journey. If you focus only on the ‘perfect’ end goal—say, running a 10K or feeling energised every morning—you might overlook the fact that:

• You now get outside for a walk every day.

• You drink more water without thinking about it.

• You’ve swapped your afternoon energy crash for steady focus.

Each of these is a gain worth celebrating.

Try This:

Next time you catch yourself thinking, I’m not there yet, flip the script and ask: Where did I start? What progress have I made?

✔ Write down three ways you've grown in the past month.

✔ Reflect on a challenge that once felt impossible but now feels easy

.✔ Give yourself credit for learning, trying, and showing up.

The reality is, we’re all figuring it out as we go—whether it’s social media, fitness, work, or life in general. So instead of constantly measuring against an ideal, let’s recognise our wins, however small they seem.

Mind the gap? Sure. But don’t forget to celebrate the gain. Love to hear your gains feel free to email me on hello@kateslatter.com. Have fun with seeing all your gains!