I have had a bit of extra time to think lately on the account of ill-timed illness. While on the one hand this was frustrating because I couldn’t do much, it was also a good thing as it forced me to withdraw from my regular routine and gave me the opportunity to take a more detailed look at where I want to go with my life.
One of the things I was thinking about was this: the process of planning out and pursuing desires with precision is, in many ways, like completing a jigsaw puzzle. They have the same steps.
Step 1. Have a clear vision of what the Outcome looks like.
It is so much easier to piece things together when you have the jigsaw box in hand. That picture on the front allows you to compare and contrast until finally you evaluate where that piece will have to go.
Most mistakes happen in this step because one may only glance at the picture but THINK that she has it in full detail in her mind. Ofcoarse, this hastiness often leads to quick progression in the wrong direction.
Step 2. Have all the pieces laid out in front of you.
Having all the pieces in front of you is the equivalent of being aware of all the steps that will need to be made towards your desired outcome. It is taking the time to evaluate whether or not you have all the pieces that are required.
If you aren’t aware of all the steps that must be made, there is no possibility of the puzzle being completed, no matter how quickly and effectively the other pieces have been put together. There will always be something missing.
Step 3. Know the order to put the puzzle together.
If you know anything about puzzle solving you will know that starting with the middle pieces is a losing strategy. There is a specific order to things. You start with the easy pieces; the corners, then you work your way up to the edges, and THEN to the middle pieces.
There is no point starting out on the most difficult pieces. The best method is to start on the less-difficult things and then take baby-steps towards the more advanced.
Step 4. Decide!
He who hesitates is lost in the world of jigsaw. While it is foolish to rush in without proper evaluation of the problem, it is equally foolish to spend so much time evaluating that you can’t even finish what you are doing.
Planning is essential to solving the puzzle, but planning alone is useless without decisiveness and action.
Step 5. Be flexible when fitting pieces together.
No matter how skilled you are, there will always be a time when you will try to fit together the wrong two pieces; it is inevitable. Maybe when you picked them up it seemed like a fine idea, but after many failed attempts it becomes aparent that things just aren’t happening.
If you find that you have gone down the wrong path that simply isn’t going anywhere (as you no doubt will), you can either keep doing what you are doing, or you can stop and cosciously choose a better way with the wisdom that you have now aquired.
Stay open to other possibilities. Remember, the definition of madness is doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result.
Hope this helped.
I like it! I especially resound with ‘having a clear picture firmly in mind’. I’d also add that, unlike a jigsaw puzzle which has a specific number of pieces that fit together in a specific way, one’s own dreams and goals may require a lot of flexibility to get to them. There are many ‘detours’ along the way, unexpected events like an illness or a recession. Each one gives us another way to show our ability to roll with it, and to become stronger in the process.
Thank you for a wonderful post!
Yeah, a fair point. To go with the puzzle metaphor again, I would relate flexibility to trying to fit pieces together, and if they don’t, move on to the next piece.
I will edit this point in. Thanks for the contribution Kris.