I’ve been spending a lot of time lately working on puzzles. I wanted to get a puzzle a couple months ago, but because almost everybody in NJ was quarantined for a few months, finding a puzzle anywhere was like finding a unicorn in a park eating a slice of pizza.
While in Walt Disney World, I finally hit the jackpot and found a set of four puzzles. So at the end of the night, when I’m done working on photo/video editing, I get away from all my technology and just focus on a puzzle. It’s my opportunity to reset my mind from what I’ve been doing all day. I’ll brainstorm new film ideas, places I want to visit, and new content for my blog articles. It was in that moment where I started looking at the puzzle in front of me a different way.
It’s been a long talked about cliche. Life is like a puzzle, using each piece as a building block to form the bigger picture. I’ve heard it a million times, but it works.
Like many, I usually start my puzzle by forming the edges first. These are the most achievable goals. They’re clearly established. They are easier to pick out than all the other pieces because they’re not as complicated. It’s a quick way to start forming the bigger picture. There is minimal reward, but a great way to start piecing everything together.
Once the framework is set, next comes the substance in the middle. While going through all the remaining pieces, I tend to do one of two things. I’ll look for pieces that I think will connect to the edges that I formed. If that doesn’t work, I’ll look at the overall picture of the puzzle. I will try to connect pieces that stand out. If Peter Pan is flying through the sky, I’ll look through the pieces on the table and try to get pieces of Peter Pan and connect them together.
The bigger the puzzle or goal, the longer it will take to accomplish. But it’s all about creating a foundation and finding ways to slowly and carefully build on that. You can’t usually take a random piece and put it in the right place, especially if there’s no. You start small and work your way up. Each piece connects to one another and the final picture slowly starts coming together.
I feel this way all the time in my life. I’ll always think of an idea and try to piece together how it’s going to happen. I felt this way when I started this blog. Months ago I wrote an article about the start of a new adventure. For the longest time I didn’t even have a website, let alone a blog.
But I knew I wanted to create engaging and exciting content and use that to inspire others. That could be through photography, video, or writing these articles. The few cents that I’m making on this website though ads is definitely not my motivating factor. I spend all my hours writing these articles because if I have a chance at inspiring even one person, all that time will be worth it.
Having said that (and drifted away from the puzzle metaphor), if you’re still reading this, I just wanted to say thank you for going through this journey with me. This is all a huge learning opportunity and I can’t wait to see what the future holds.
Comments