Between Now and Where You Want to Be — Three Lines Is Enough

The Name Sounds Big

Gap Analysis is a framework commonly used in business and consulting. You look at where you are now (As-Is), where you want to be (To-Be), identify the gap between them, and figure out what to do about it.

The name sounds formal, but it’s no different from what we think every day.

“This is where I am, this is where I want to be, and this is what’s in the way.”

That’s it.

In Fecit

Every Task in Fecit has three fields.

Current (Target) — What’s the situation right now?

Expectation — How do you want it to change?

Obstacle — What’s standing in the way?

Writing these three things down turns vague thoughts into something concrete. Without writing it down, it stays as “I should do something about this…” Write it down, and the next action starts to reveal itself.

Example: Preparing a Presentation

Current: Only the topic is decided. No materials collected. Five days until the presentation.

Expectation: A 15-minute talk with slides organized around 3 key messages.

Obstacle: The data I need is owned by another team — I have to request it.

Once you write this down, your first action is obvious: request the data. The obstacle made the action clear.

Example: Building an Exercise Habit

Current: 78kg. Haven’t exercised in 3 months. Out of breath climbing stairs.

Expectation: 73kg. Exercise 3 times a week. Climb 5 floors without stopping.

Obstacle: Frequent overtime makes it hard to free up evenings.

If the obstacle is “time in the evening,” you can consider mornings instead. Without writing it down, you’d have stopped at “I should exercise.”

Example: Preparing for a Career Move

Current: 3 years at current job. Feeling stagnant. No portfolio.

Expectation: Switch jobs within 6 months. At least 2 projects in my target field.

Obstacle: No energy after work to start side projects.

Adding a timeline to your expectation creates urgency. Writing down the obstacle reveals that “energy management” is the real challenge, not lack of skill or opportunity.

You Don’t Have to Fill All Three at Once

Just writing down the current situation is a good start. As you write it, the expectation tends to emerge naturally. And once you have the expectation, the obstacle becomes visible. Don’t try to get it perfect in one sitting. Come back and refine it as you go.

What matters is starting. Three lines is enough.