Who else has a puzzle on their kitchen or dining room table right now? I do, and it’s the first time I have in years!
As I was hovering over the table the other day, I started thinking about how doing a puzzle reminds me of some good business and life lessons.
So, I decided to try something new today from a writing standpoint. I am pointing out my observations and want YOU to make the connections (pun intended!) on your own. Too often I see articles and blog posts that make observations and statements, followed by a long and detailed description of what the author thinks it means. I don’t know about you, but I usually only read the highlights and prefer to fill in the blanks myself. I can think of stories – successes and failures – from my experiences for each of these. I would rather hear your stories, though!
So, here goes:
1. It helps to see the big picture before you start…and to continue to refer to it along the way.
2. Working with a plan (like edges first) is helpful. The more organized your plan/approach is, the more likely you will have a successful outcome.
3. Without each piece, you don’t know what the full picture really looks like.
4. You shouldn’t judge a piece without trying to see if it fits – some that look the least likely are actually the ones that do fit.
5. Likewise, if a piece does not fit, stop forcing it.
6. When you get stuck, regroup and try another approach. Step away if you need to.
7. The more choices you have, the harder it is to find the right piece.
8. Working with someone else is helpful – especially if they see things differently than you do.
9. If you aren’t willing to change your point of view, you can miss the pieces that fit.
Let me know what you think! It would be fun to get a lot of feedback on how you translate these (your stories) and other lessons you can think of. It would give me a reason to publish a follow up post!