Puzzling as Progress

So I decided to bust out a new 1000 piece puzzle two weeks ago for a fun family activity as the tropical storm was heading towards San Diego. I always associated puzzles with rest, mindfulness, and bonding with loved ones, so I was excited to get started. It was all fine and good at first, until my family members gradually tired of the extremely challenging work of getting the intricate pieces to come together, and they peeled away and busied themselves with other things. Then it became my project.

My partner regularly complained about how it was taking up too much room, and threatened to box it up when I was gone for a conference the following week. But when I came back, it was still there! He saved it for me. It seems like such a silly gesture, but suddenly I was filled with new resolve. If Cory didn't put it away, maybe he thinks I can do this thing after all. I found myself determined to prove that I could finish it. 

Every day, I tried my darnedest to make progress, but it was slow going. I felt the undone puzzle hanging over me, and it seemed weird how much I let it get to me. But it became obvious that the puzzle symbolized something more, reminding me of difficult things that I need to do that I tend to procrastinate or avoid. So every day, I spent some time chipping away at it. At first, I felt like I was barely making any progress. Then I found new approaches like focusing on identifying distinctive puzzle shapes rather than color patterns, or zeroing in on one section of the puzzle, which made me feel less overwhelmed by the more monumental task of getting it all done. I would mess with the lighting in the room or look at the puzzle from a different angle and sometimes that helped me find a path forward. Heck, the kids even joined in sometimes and helped me turn a corner a couple times when I was hitting a roadblock.

This simple puzzle ritual became an exercise in persistence and patience, and really forced me to just trust the process. I came to believe that I could really get it done and started to look forward to my solo meditative time as I slowly put the pieces together. Suddenly I wasn't checking work email after hours or obsessing over my to-do list. And when I did have to buckle down and do some work, I felt I had more bandwidth to complete other responsibilities because I had been committed to this "non-productive" downtime which naturally created some healthy boundaries between work and home. 

So, 13 days later, the puzzle is complete. I admired my work, and the finished product was missing two pieces - no surprise with two young kids and a playful cat at home! It made me smile and remember one of my favorite mantras these days, "Done, not perfect."

These are the lessons I've taken from what will be henceforth known as The Puzzle Project:

*Whether someone believes in you or not can easily sway your confidence, but in the end, faith in yourself is what will propel you forward.
*Embracing some flexibility in perspective taking can be a game-changer and support growth.
*You don't have to do it all alone - a little help from someone else can be just what you need to overcome a seemingly insurmountable hurdle.
*Creating space for creativity and play is a vital component of work-life integration.
*Release the pressure to be perfect and celebrate the good (enough).

We can do hard things! And have fun in the process.