The most important game you play is the one you’ll do for the longest. This “game” can look different for everyone. The thing you feel most passionately about might look like running, Pilates, CrossFit, cycling, pickleball, etc. This can also look like playing with grandkids, going on hikes with family, or gardening. No matter what it looks like, for most people these things are incredibly sacred and things we hold close to us. They give us purpose and provide us with connection. Sometimes they provide us with stability and provide a healthy outlet for us. Often times they are the best part of our day.
I recently had a conversation with one of my clients who was having shoulder pain that was having a hard time modifying his workouts because he wanted to “win” in his group class workout, and he wanted to beat his old PR. I asked him what was more important to him: Winning today’s workout but likely having a setback in his shoulder rehab progress? Or being able to continue to be able to work out at the gym over the next month? What about having little to no shoulder issues a year from now? 5 years from now?
In finite games the point is to win.
In infinite games the point is to keep playing.
This example goes for any of the other things I mentioned, and likely whatever is your thing that might not be listed. Do you want to be able to say you completed your 50-mile week to say you met training goals, even though your knee feels worse – or do you want to run the marathon? What if you continue to break it down so much that you can’t run that marathon? More importantly, do you want to continue running for 15 more years? How important is it to you, and what do you want it to look like a year from now? 5 years from now?
Don’t get me wrong, there is a time to push. There are times when we can push past our mental and physical limits. There’s a time and a place for it, and we are huge advocates for sticking in it and doing more than you think you can do. Most of us are capable of doing more than we think we can. It’s really rewarding to push and succeed, but it’s also a great learning experience to push and to come up short. It’s making ourselves vulnerable to wanting something so bad we’re willing to put it all on the table. It’s the beauty of life.
The art is being able to zoom out and know when to push - and when to honor our bodies and know that to meet the bigger goal we might have to change course slightly. Being able to picture what you want your life to look like 5, 10, or 15 years from now into the future is called vision casting. Practicing vision casting can help gain perspective of what ultimately is most important to you, and it will likely help you get out of your own head today.
Most of our big endeavors and things we truly care about continuing to do…are infinite games. The most infinite game of all is life as a whole. We call this longevity. Longevity of your actual life, but also longevity of things you enjoy doing. What things bring you joy? What do you want your life to look like 30 years from now? Vision casting is grounding, and it truly is a skill.
Vision casting is not only something we use every day with our clients, but something we also use in our staff meetings and within our personal relationships. It can be done individually certainly, but speaking from experience it is best when shared with other people. Sharing with other people stimulates ideas, accountability, and connection.
The longest game you’ll play is the game of life. How do you want it to look for you? If you find yourself in the same cyclic pattern of breaking yourself down to win finite games instead of building yourself up, we’re here. We’re ready when you’re ready, and we’re ready to meet you exactly where you are.
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