Let it Flow

Last week I had an unexpected urge to put together a puzzle (First picture is what it will look like, 2nd picture is current status). Admittedly this is an urge I’ve never had before. I found an unopened puzzle in the closet, leftover from a Christmas grab. My first thought when I looked at all of the pieces was “Wow, this is going to be hard!” and isn’t that just like me to start out any project thinking that. That will change.

I stood there and stared at the pieces, not knowing where to start. I had dumped all 500 “curly” puzzle pieces onto the table and began to sift through them. I decided that looking at 500 pieces on the table was not going to make me successful. I put the pieces back in the box and looked at the big picture again. What would be an easy area to start with? The flower garden? Picture window? Certainly not the ocean and sky - too mono-color. I chose the picture window and the flower garden. After 4 days the puzzle, I’m happy to say, is coming together nicely. And not surprisingly I’ve learned a few things that will help me not only put the puzzle together, but will help me in other areas of my life as well. Putting a puzzle together has offered me great insight to my learning and action style.

Here are some parallels:

Too many pieces is overwhelming. Just as too much information is overwhelming. I had to put the pieces back in the box and start with just a few. When I’m on information overload I have trouble taking action.  I work well with small bits of information (or puzzle pieces!)

Work in baby steps. This is familiar to me and I know working in small, manageable sections allowed me to see more clearly how the pieces of the puzzle fit together. Before I knew it my little sections were connecting to create a larger section. And that is very satisfying. Sometimes the baby steps in life don’t appear to be much, but they are.

Always keep the final puzzle picture close. I find myself looking at the puzzle picture quite often, which reminds me about the importance of having a goal in mind. I have personal and professional goals written down, and admittedly I don’t review them often. This puzzle has served as a great reminder to pull them out, keep them close and look at them often. This bigger picture is what the baby steps are creating.

Do a little bit each day. Sometimes I get caught in the trap: I have to finish everything NOW which may mean hours of work at a time. I’ve got to manage my time. I find that setting aside short bits of time creates a framework I can be happy with and manage appropriately. I avoid the frustration that might follow wondering “Why isn’t it done yet?”

Celebrate and Share Success. At the end of each puzzle session I’m often amazed at what I accomplish. I find myself smiling and wanting to share my work with my husband. I need to start celebrating all of my accomplishments in this way - personally and professionally. I do have a lot to celebrate and it makes the process that much more enjoyable.

Tags: Food for thought, Miscellaneous Wellness, Positive Thinking //