4 mins read

Putting the Pieces Together

A fascination with puzzles…

It might come as no surprise to readers that I’ve put together a fair number of puzzles in my time.

During a run the other week I started forming a “consolidated puzzle theory” of life – that whether we consciously think about it or not, our mind is sifting through all the pieces trying to get a glimpse of the complete picture.

Or rather – our mind ultimately “knows” what the completed picture looks like, and is fitting the individual pieces into their correct spot – to solve the puzzle.

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Starting small

So we challenge our offspring with simple puzzles containing big pieces and fun pictures.

Pick an attractive icon in the child’s world with a big theme and easy to recognize features.  Divide that picture into six easy to place segments and away you go.

The problem is easy for the child to understand, the solution is often shown the first few times by an adult, and the payoff is that fun image.  It helps develop comprehension, memory, problem solving, and even a bit of hand-eye coordination.

Scaling the problem

And once they’ve mastered the basics, a child is eager to take on larger, more interesting, and difficult challenges.

Pieces get smaller and more intricate. The pattern of interlocking becomes more detailed. The elements of the picture get smaller and more difficult to differentiate.

And then you find yourself with a “family” puzzle of a thousand pieces spread across the card table for a week at a time with family members taking turns dropping a few pieces in as they wander by…

Starting with the edges

This time honored tactic helps define the puzzle. Of those thousand pieces, a specific subset is identifiable by one smooth side that forms the border.  These pieces can be searched for and set aside – and then assembled with the limited connection options available.

I’m working on the sail

And then this tactic can expand to help put together other sub-sections of the puzzle.

If a specific element of the puzzle can be identified – possibly with a distinctive color – those pieces can be found and pulled aside.  This also allows an individual to take control of part of the puzzle.

From the outside in

And because the border has been complete, it also makes a good launching point.  With a set of landmarks and specific connecting features, the edge can be pulled in, closing in on the more difficult or ambiguous areas.

As the edge pulls in to an area that has been worked on as a subsection, tying them together creates momentum and encourages the participants.

Left with the sky

At some point in the process, the remaining pieces lack specific features to lock in on – no colors or objects that distinguish them.

Large sections of sky, or water… (or sometimes sections of both;-)

At these times, the only solution is to buckle down and look at the nitty gritty – subtle shades, specific shapes and contours of the pieces.

But with the other pieces in place, there is at least less to look through to find a likely prospect.

Finishing strong

And at some point, the puzzle is easily solvable, but not yet done – you pick up a piece and can find where it fits, or you identify which piece you want and then you find it in the rapidly dwindling supply.

If you’re alone, there’s a sense of quiet satisfaction putting in the last piece.  If you have siblings, you may have to require a “one piece at a time” rule to keep one from hoarding a potential last piece…

Special situations apply for pieces dropped on the floor, stuck in a pocket, or truly lost.

Life’s a puzzle

And so here’s the rub – the same strategies that help one put together a puzzle apply in life.

  • Start cautiously from the outside and establish the edge
  • Pick smaller sections to master one at a time
  • Build from experience
  • Link the different experiences life has given you
  • Fight through the tough parts
  • Finish strong

See – you never knew what good lessons you were getting all those years trying to pick out tiny shapes and colors in the dim light of the living room!-)

steve