Stop keeping score in games with no finish line and change how you play

Most of us inherit a habit of keeping score. We talk about crushing quarters, dominating markets, or finally “winning” our career. Then we hit the target and feel oddly empty, like the applause faded too fast. The coffee on your desk cools while you refresh a dashboard, hoping a green arrow fills the hole. The problem isn’t effort, it’s the game board. Some games end with a whistle. Many of the most important ones don’t.

In an infinite game—like leading a company, raising a family, or learning—there’s no official finish line. When we treat these as finite, we push for quick wins, cut corners, and burn trust. In school, chasing grades can eclipse learning. At work, chasing rank can eclipse usefulness. One manager told me he’d “won” a product launch by shipping early, then spent six months apologizing to customers. He hit a finish line that didn’t exist.

Shifting to an infinite mindset doesn’t mean abandoning goals. It means using goals as mile markers for a longer road. You still run sprints, but the purpose of a sprint is insight, not judgment. You still measure, but your favorite metrics show durability: customer loyalty over clicks, error learning rate over error hiding, teammate candor over forced compliance. It’s surprising how quickly energy returns when people stop pretending they’re done.

Behavioral science backs this. Fixed, win‑lose frames narrow attention and increase risky shortcuts under pressure, while learning goals broaden attention and invite adaptation. Identity theory helps too: when you see yourself as a learner or steward rather than a winner, you act in ways that preserve the journey. I might be wrong, but most people aren’t motivated by “be number one” nearly as long as they’re motivated by “keep getting better together.”

Start by listing the arenas you’re in and sort which ones truly end and which go on. Rewrite the objective of the ongoing ones from “win” to “continue and improve,” then choose a few leading indicators like loyalty, safety, or learning speed to track each month. When you set short sprints, treat them as markers for learning rather than verdicts, and after each sprint ask what keeps you in the game and what needs to change. This week, run one meeting with the new scorecard and end by asking, “What did we learn that helps us keep playing?” Give it a try tonight.