Mind the Gap. Where Do You Want to Be?

You don’t always start the day with spunk and enthusiasm. Do you “mind the gap?” What stands in the space between where you are today and where you want to be?

Mind the Gap

“Mind the gap,” originated around 1968 in the London Underground. The signs and recordings warned passengers to look out for the space between the train steps and the platform. The phrase now shows up in business discussions, on t-shirts, and jokes.

Do you ever wake up feeling tired and out of sync? I started the day that way. “Mind the gap,” echoed in my thoughts. Could the gap I felt be a warning to watch my step as I walked from where I have been across the space to where I wanted to go?

Brené Brown calls minding the gap a daring strategy. She uses the term to describe the gap between aspirational values and what she calls practiced values. What we say versus what we do.

“We have to pay attention to the space between where we’re actually standing and where we want to be.”

Brené Brown, Daring Greatly

I decided not to overthink the feeling. But I decided to pay closer attention to what I valued and my actions.

If I value kindness, what behaviors did people see me doing or saying? I shudder at some of the things I have done that would bring that value into question.

Note to Self

Remember to show kindness even when you don’t feel like it.

Kindness to others comes to mind first. What about taking the time to show kindness to yourself? Maybe the space for today was taking time to be kind to me. Nothing more, nothing less.

Tomorrow will present a new opportunity to reflect and become better than the day before. Listen for “mind the gap,” and jump into the day with renewed hope.