What do Puzzles & Goals Have in Common? (454 hits)
Over the holidays, my daughter & I spent some time putting together a 1000 piece jigsaw puzzle. It was a nice way for us to actually spend some time together - really focused time where we could work on a common task, and just enjoy each other's company.
We began by clearing off the table & pouring all the pieces out. We then studied the box lid so that we had some idea of where to start. At first, my 7 year old just wanted to dive right in and start finding pieces that fit, but this was very difficult with so many pieces - we couldn't see anything very clearly at first with all the jumble.
So after I gave her a chance to try it on her own (which went very slowly, I might add), we decided to try the strategy of putting like-colored pieces in piles. Then we worked on tackling a pile until we were tired, we left, then came back to tackle another pile, and so on.
After awhile, the picture began to get more clear. It certainly wasn't an overnight process. In fact, we actually took a break for a few days so that we could come back with a fresh new look at the puzzle. When we came back to it, each time we'd look at the box, figure out where we wanted to start, and then we'd tackle a piece again. Somehow, a piece we hadn't seen before would be recognized - "ooh, mommy, this is what we were looking for & couldn't see before!".
Finally, after a couple of weeks, the puzzle was almost done. My niece happened to visit from Florida about this time and she plugged in some pieces where we'd gotten stuck (it seemed that the leftover pieces were starting to all blur together - you know, same color but never quite fitting). Well, she came right in and took over, helping us knock out the puzzle in about an hour.
What did I learn from this experience & what does it have to do with setting goals? Well, I'll share:
1. sometimes you have to move other things - distractions - out of the way to make room for your goal;to achieve a goal/outcome, you have to know what you're looking to create. what does it look like? what is it I want to achieve (i.e. picture on the box); 2. at first, you may not have that clear picture; it may take time to sort through what's on your plate so that you chunk things down vs. tackling everything at once; 3. there may be times you'll have to leave your goal alone for awhile to focus on other critical things going on, or simply to clear your mind so that you can look at things from a fresh perspective later; 4. finally, you don't have to do everything on your own; you'll have the right resources at the right time just when you least expect it & they'll help you pull it all together
So, I suppose the puzzle had a greater purpose for me & for my little one. Isn't it great how you can learn from any experience?
