# Chapter 136

Measuring the gap is trouble. I was reading yesterday about how many of us measure the gap of performance in our lives, and we are chronically unhappy, dissatisfied constantly, and not pleased one bit about it. Falling short is something no one wants, not a thing that we would aim for under any circumstances. But we do it so consistently that something is amiss here and we need to talk about this.

First of all, what are you measuring? There is a whole scale at play here, and I am pretty sure that we have placed some of our desired marks in inappropriate places on this scale. Speaking of scales, that is my first remembered performance gap, my piano recital. I was eight or nine years old and believe it or not, there were quite a few aspiring pianists that had been studying for years and years and who were much more accomplished than I was as a first year student. There was definitely a performance gap, between me and those older more accomplished students, but the gap felt personal. Even though I had played my assigned pieces reasonably well, the very real gap across the scale of talent and years of practice, made mine seem . . . less. What are you measuring and is it skill appropriate?

Second of all, when are you measuring? There is a time frame at play here, and I am pretty sure that we have placed some of our desired marks in inappropriate places on this scale too. The newbie out of college expects to be the CEO immediately. Yeah, there is a performance gap. The med student who wants to skip residency and start at the lead surgeon role . . . yeah that ain’t gonna work either. Measuring the gap is trouble. Tomorrow I will tell you a better way.