I Lost My Sense of Play

When you start feeling angry or frustrated, it is a sure sign that you have lost your sense of play. Last night I was teaching an MBA class on presentation skills. Early on in the night I found myself feeling angry at a few students as I watched them perform well below their potential --either because they hadn't prepared or because they adopted a somewhat silly approach to the assignment.

When I find myself playing the anger game it usually catches me unaware, it's unintentional - mostly a response to a situation. When I'm angry, I never feel that I am operating as my best self. It's almost as if I've lost a bit of control and I worry that I may say something that I will regret.

So this morning I've decided to play a new game as it relates to teaching this class. The game I'm going to start playing is the "Committed but Detached" game. In this game, while I'm committed to my students growth, I'm detached from how they choose to engage in class. It is a reminder to me to not take their level of participation personally. It's not that I'm lowering my expectations, I'm just choosing to adopt a new approach when my expectations aren't met. It also helps me to stop feeling responsible for the actions of others.

I invite you to play the Committed but Detached game along with me. Playing this game will allow you to keep giving 100% while providing a well-needed buffer between you and the responses of others.