The Wisdom of Puzzles: Five Ways to Approach a Challenge
I haven’t done a puzzle since…well, I can’t remember when. Let’s just say I am not known for my patience or sitting still for very long. 😊
This past December I saw some beautiful puzzles at the co-op. Yes, weird place to see puzzles, and I kept just sitting there with my cart staring at them. I’m not exactly sure what about them drew me in, but I bought two of them. One went to my grand-nieces and the other I thought I might give to a friend…but I kept it. It still had the plastic wrap on it at the end of January when a friend came to visit me in TX. She’s a puzzler. She offered to help me get it started. With trepidation and some excitement, we opened it and started putting pieces on the table. “This is a hard puzzle, Lecia!” Having not done one for so many decades, I didn’t really know what to think. After she left I received a gracious note about having a wonderful time, except for that “darn hard puzzle!”
I found myself dawdling around it without much enthusiasm and a little disheartened…it was hard. A few weeks went by and another puzzler friend stopped by and exclaimed, “What a beautiful puzzle!” From this point forward, my enthusiasm and vigor engaged for this puzzle. I keep finding myself lingering and looking at the many shades of red/orange and finding joy in the little wins along the way. It got me thinking…what is it that I’m learning from this puzzle? What does it teach me about hitting obstacles and challenging times? Following are five ways to approach a challenge…no matter what the puzzle you encounter.
Attitude is everything. How are you approaching the challenge in front of you? Is it “hard” or is it “beautiful?” Sometimes something is challenging because it is beautifully complex. Yes, humans can be “hard” to deal with, and they are also beautiful! What if you approached one challenging person, or situation, as this beautifully complex puzzle?
Know the puzzle and it’s shades. While my friend and I were working on the puzzle and I was getting a bit frustrated, she said, with this wise mysterious sage voice, “You will start to see all the colors and shades. You will start to know the puzzle.” I get little shivers all over again when I think of when she said it. When you approach something from the perspective of wanting to know it, really know it, you approach it with more curiosity and anticipation. It’s actually kind of fun to search out and see the many shades of color or an obstacle or challenge. Do you really want to know the puzzle? Do you see the many shades and nuances of it?
Zoom out and zoom in. Sometimes I look so hard for one piece in a 1000 piece puzzle, my brain starts to hurt. “That piece must be missing!” I think. That is when I know it is time to zoom out and either look at the pieces with a scanning view or start looking for a different place to focus (zoom out). Or, if I’m just looking around trying to find pieces that seem to fit anywhere, I start to feel deflated. Time to zoom in and just focus on finding one piece. When you find yourself so laser-focused on something and stuck – zoom out. When you feel like you might be just scanning peripherally on an issue and get stuck – zoom in. This is an easy step that can create space and energy, or focus and purpose. Where are you on a current challenge you have? Time to zoom out or zoom in?
Step away when you feel unproductive or frustrated. I’ve had times when I looked 15 minutes and didn’t find one piece. This gets demotivating. I’ve learned that before I get too frustrated, or feel the time is really getting me nowhere, I just step away. It seems that every time I take a little break, I walk back and can put 2-3 pieces together within 5 minutes! Next time you are feeling challenged or stuck, step away, get refreshed and come back. What’s possible now?
Celebrate the wins! There is something completely different between always striving for the next puzzle piece and celebrating little wins along the way. My friend makes puzzling a lively sport – there is cheering, high-fiving, excitement, concentration, and teamwork. Knowing there will be a little celebration each time we find a good piece makes the hard puzzle more fun! What might you celebrate along the way of addressing your challenge or obstacle?
Do you have a “puzzle” you are dealing with and feeling a bit stuck? Try one or more of the puzzle approaches above to see how It might give you a new way to approach it. And please let me know if you do and something ‘clicks’ into place. Happy puzzling!