“You Did Not Come This Far, Just To Come This Far”
Tears came to my eyes the first time I heard this quote.
It was 2019, and I was sitting in the packed arena at the 10X Growth Conference in Miami, a massive business event hosted by Grant Cardone.
Jesse Itzler was on stage, urging ´me´ (and the rest of the 25.000-plus crowd) to take my foot off the brake and hit the gas.
I was there with my wife and 11-year-old daughter.
And in that moment, as Jesse spoke, I felt an ´here-it-comes´ surge of emotion.
My eyes welled up, and I hoped my family didn’t notice. Of course they did.
Now they knew—Dad has feelings, too. 😉
So, why did I react so strongly? Why did his words hit me like a punch in the gut?
Because they exposed a truth I’d been ignoring.
As entrepreneurs and other high achievers, we’re wired to focus on what’s next.
The goals we haven’t reached, the obstacles still in our way, the future we’re chasing.
We get so consumed by where we are not (yet ;-)) that we forget to realise how far we’ve already come.
We live in the Gap between where we are and where we want to be, constantly measuring ourselves against an ever-moving target.
You know what I´m talking about.
That day, Jesse reminded me of something I’d lost sight of: the Gain.
The triumphs I’ve had, the challenges I´ve overcome, the lessons learned.
I was reminded of this principle again recently when I read The Gap and The Gain by Benjamin Hardy, PhD, and Dan Sullivan.
It’s a book that I recommend for anyone who’s ever pushed themselves hard, always striving but rarely pausing long enough to appreciate their progress.
The key takeaway? The power of perspective.
Most people (especially high achievers) measure their progress by the Gap, focusing on how far they still need to go.
This mindset often leads to frustration, burnout, and a constant sense of “not enough”.
Instead, Hardy and Sullivan teach us to measure the Gain—to look back and see how far we’ve already come.
It´s truly liberating.
This shift fuels motivation, happiness, and a deeper sense of accomplishment.
Happiness, it turns out, comes from measuring backward, not forward.
Who knew, right?
It’s a simple truth, but a powerful one.
And it doesn’t just apply to business; it applies to every aspect of life.
When we focus on the Gain, we realise we’re already winning.
We’re already succeeding.
I understand the hustle culture. The grind. The constant chase. The BIG GOALS.
But I’ve learned there’s another way—a way that lets you feel proud of what you’ve done while still striving for more.
Remember: “You didn’t come this far, just to come this far.”
“You Did Not Come This Far, Just To Come This Far”
