Infinite Game

vs.

Finite Game

I have been reading The Infinite Game, by Simon Sinek.  It’s amazing.  I had it on Audible and a hard copy so I could mark it up.  I was intrigued by Simon’s online videos and inspirational talks I had been hearing.  I began listening and here are my biggest take-aways:

#1 Having a CAUSE bigger than yourself is crucial to participate in the Infinite Game.

My cause, my why, is to help families find their Educational North.  What I mean by that is I want every family to realize the best learning for their child.  That is going to look different for every family, but it is attainable.  Because EVERY. SINGLE. child and adult deserves to be in a space that nourishes them and helps them to aspire to be their BEST self.

#2 WORTHY RIVALS doesn’t mean comparing yourself to others.

You can have people that INSPIRE you to be better.  You can have others that you look to as mentors.  You can have others that help you become your BEST self.  However, don’t let those relationships become one of comparison.  Help each other strive for continuous growth, not who can be the better.

#3 FEAR is a motivator – not for the best.

“So just imagine how people act when they work in constant fear of missing out on a promotion, fear of getting in trouble, fear of being mocked, fear of not fitting in, fear of their boss thinking they’re an idiot, fear of finding themselves on a short list for the next round of layoffs” (page 119).

I’m gonna take this into the education realm.  I will go into this more in-depth later on in another post, but feel it is worth a mention now.  What if our kids are fearful.  What?!  The kids in my class are not fearful – I create an inclusive environment.  I wish we could have a recording of how we, and I say we, because I am right there with you – talk to our students.  What are the messages they are receiving from our mouths?  Are we intentionally making sure our words are positive? Sustaining? Let’s all put effort in this week to check our words with those we interact with.

Yours in learning,

Dr. Melissa Durtschi