To every entrepreneur and business owner,
Sometimes we get so busy chasing the next destination that we forget something very human — looking back at how far we’ve actually come.
The business owner who once hunted for his first customer may have thousands of customers today. Back then RM10,000 felt so far away; today he may already be at RM100,000 or even RM1 million. Yesterday everything was done with his own hands, today there’s a team shouldering the responsibility together with him.
But here’s the strange part. The more we achieve, the easier it is to feel it’s still not enough.
We look at people who are already at RM1 million when we’ve just hit RM10,000 or RM30,000 a year. We look at organisations with dozens of staff when our team is still 9 people. In the end, achievements that should make us grateful start to feel small, because our eyes are always fixed on what we don’t have yet.
I want to share one concept that every business owner needs to understand properly — Gain vs Gap.
Gain is when we look at how far we’ve moved from where we started. Gap is when we look at the distance between where we are today and the destination we want to reach.
Both matter. If we only look at the gap, we can become too hard on ourselves, because no achievement ever feels like enough. But if we only look at the gain, we can also become too comfortable with what we’ve already achieved and stop seeing what still needs to be improved. That’s why entrepreneurs need to learn to look at both at the same time. I use my own health journey as an example. When I look back at where I was in January and compare it to today, there’s a clear change in my weight, body fat and health levels. That is the gain.
I need to acknowledge that progress, but I also have a picture of the level of fitness I want to reach next. Compared to where I am today, there’s still a gap in body fat, muscle tone, strength, nutrition, my training schedule, and most of all the discipline I need to improve.
Business is the same. Say your company used to make RM10,000 a month and today it’s doing RM100,000 a month. Don’t look at that RM10,000 to RM100,000 jump as if it means nothing.
Look back at the ‘person’ you had to become, the team you managed to build, the mistakes you went through, and the abilities you didn’t have before. That is your Gain. Celebrate it, be grateful, and acknowledge that you have moved.
Only after that do we look forward. If RM1 million is the next destination, what is the Gap?
Maybe it’s not sales. Maybe the leadership team isn’t strong enough yet, or the organisational structure needs to change, or the systems can’t support the growth. And maybe the business owner is still spending too much time inside operations.
Once the gain and the gap are clear, that’s when we can build a roadmap. I compare it to building a house. You can’t build a house from a picture in your head. You need a sketch, a blueprint, you erase when you have to, you redraw, and you adjust when new information comes in.
Business works the same way. A big destination has to be broken down into milestones and checkpoints, so we know whether what we’re doing today is really bringing us closer, or actually taking us down the wrong turning.
Because a person can work very hard and still be off course. The calendar can be full, the meetings can pile up, the team can be busy, and projects can run all at once.
But if none of that closes the gap between where you are today and where you want to go, then you’re not progressing — you’re just busy.
So today, don’t only ask, “How much further do I have to go?”
Stop for a moment and also look at, “How far have I already come?”
Then look ahead and ask, “What gaps do I need to close to become the person who can actually reach the next destination?”
I believe we need both. Gain gives us the confidence that we can move. Gap gives us clarity on what needs to be improved. The roadmap keeps us from drifting off course along the way.
And don’t let the day come when we’re so comfortable looking at the gain that we feel we’ve done enough. Because once a person starts feeling he has arrived and stops looking at what needs to be improved, that’s exactly where his growth can stop.
Appreciate the Gain. Identify the Gap. Then make sure every action you take today brings you closer to who you want to be tomorrow. If you need support with your business growth right now, get a free consultation session with the RichWorks team. Comment GROW and we’ll help you.
Datuk Wira
If you’re building a business and facing certain challenges, me and the RichWorks team want to help you get clearer and see the real condition of your business through a free report — the Business Diagnostic Report (BDR), made specially for you.
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