Play and discipline seem like opposites. When we play, there are no rules - or very elastic principles, at most - and we are open to possibilities, to go wherever the play may take us. Discipline on the other hand involves a consistent, deliberate practice of best practices, iteratively or sequentially, towards a defined outcome or outcomes. We utilise our prior learning or the learning of others to achieve the objective.
As a kid, when I wasn't drawing or building things, I was playing football. When no one was watching, I played joyfully with freedom, with expression. My feet knew what to do without thinking. I didn't have a set position, or role to stick to. There was no game plan. If anyone bothered keeping score, games typically ended 25 to 23, or some such rugby score. Nobody won or lost. The objective was just to play and no one really cared about the result. Everyone went home happy.
In a proper competitive match, in a kit, on a full-sized pitch, when the result mattered, with people watching and a trophy waiting, I wouldn't dare to express myself or try an outrageous shot. My head was in charge now, not my feet, stultifying my natural expression, all joy evaporated. My priority, not to let the team down.
The necessity for discipline, to play to a plan, to be a cog within a system, to be accountable to others, caused my struggles. If I had found a way to somehow make a game of the discipline, to play with my feet and head, I could have enjoyed the process and likely excelled.
The masters of football, or painting, or anything else, are able to consistently achieve that delicate balance of play and discipline. To will it without forcing. A controlled letting go.
Comments