The Gap Tells a Story.
“Close the gap.” A phrase coaches often shout from the sidelines, urging their team to push harder, close in, and secure the win.
A gap is simply an opening — a space between two things. In business, it’s the distance between a company’s current state and its desired future. In life, it’s the space between who we are today and who we want to become tomorrow.
John Maxwell once said: “We decide our habits, and our habits decide our future.”
Your tomorrow is built one habit at a time.
A while back, I shared a digital habit tracker with my online community — a simple tool to monitor progress. Each time you complete a habit, you mark it off with a check, an X, or a shaded cell. Over time, those marks tell a story: of consistency, of missed days, of growth. The tracker doesn’t just measure progress; it reveals the gaps.
What the Gaps reveal.
Recently, I’ve been forming a new habit: writing at least 30 minutes a day. Writing is something I love, but I haven’t always been consistent. When I saw gaps in my tracker, I learnt something important.
1. Gaps always have a cause.
In geology, gaps are often formed by erosion — slow, hidden forces like wind or water. In habits, inconsistency is often erosion too. It might not just be “lack of discipline” but deeper factors: poor timing, lack of systems, or unrealistic expectations.
For example:
My devotion time is nearly impossible after 6 a.m. because at least someone in my house is awake by then.
Writing late at night rarely happens because I’m often too tired.
The tracker helped me see that the problem wasn’t me — it was the system I set up. Once you identify what caused the gap, you can design better systems to prevent it.
2. Past Evidence Fuels Future Wins
The other day at the supermarket, I noticed a driver taking an unusually long time to reverse. At first, I wondered why. Then I saw them glance down, fumbling slightly with the gear. Instantly, it made sense: either they were a new driver or the car was new. It turned out, the car was new.
That moment reminded me of something important — anything new takes time to get used to.
Think about when you buy a new pair of shoes. At first, they feel stiff and uncomfortable. You walk carefully, adjusting with every step. But eventually, you break them in. Soon, you’re walking confidently — and maybe even moving on to higher stilettos. Why? Because your past experience has given you evidence that what feels awkward at first will one day feel natural.
Habits work the same way. When I placed new habits alongside old ones, I saw the contrast. My established habits had almost no gaps. But I remember when those “automatic” habits were once hard, too. The tracker became a reminder: past struggles are evidence that I can master new habits.
3. Start Small, Build Momentum.
A great life is lived one day at a time — not in giant leaps, but in small, steady steps. We often set ourselves up for failure by aiming too high, too soon.
Here’s a simple test: look at your tracker. If you see more than three gaps in a row, it may not mean you lack discipline — it may mean the habit is too big for where you are right now. Take exercise, for example. If you’ve never worked out before and you suddenly decide you’ll exercise for two hours every day, chances are you’ll quit before you even begin to build consistency. It’s not because you’re incapable — it’s because the goal is overwhelming.
Instead, start small. Try 10 or 15 minutes a day. Once that becomes part of your rhythm, stretch it to 30 minutes, then to an hour. This way, you’re not fighting a losing battle with your willpower. You’re building momentum, step by step.
The same applies to writing, reading, prayer, journaling — any habit you want to grow. By making the time frame short and realistic, you reduce overwhelm and create a sense of achievement. Every small win fuels the next. It’s not intensity that builds transformation — it’s consistency. Start where you are, grow steadily, and over time you’ll look back and realize the small steps carried you much further than the giant leaps you once thought you needed.
3. Start Small, Build Momentum.
Ayrton Senna, one of the greatest Formula 1 drivers of all time, once said:
“If you no longer go for a gap that exists, you are no longer a racing driver.”
In racing, a gap is an opening to overtake another car. It’s a fleeting moment — appear too hesitant and the gap closes, but seize it with courage and you move forward. Senna’s point was simple: the essence of being a racing driver is the willingness to go for the opening when it’s there. Without that courage, you’re just driving — not racing.
When your habit tracker shows gaps, don’t see them as failure. See them as signals. They tell you something about your systems, your timing, your priorities. And when life presents you with a gap — an opportunity to grow, to change, to move forward — don’t ignore it. Go for it. Because if you stop reaching for the gaps, you stop moving toward who you are meant to become. You settle into comfort, into the familiar — but not into growth.
The gap is where transformation happens. It’s where you overtake the old version of yourself and step into the new. Go for the gaps.