There's something super cozy about settling down by a wood stove on a chilly evening, puzzle pieces spread out in front of you, right? It's one of those simple pleasures that feels especially perfect this time of year. I totally enjoy it—starting with the edges and working my way in. And you know what? My grandma, who's hitting the big 9-0 this year, has this puzzle game down to a daily art form.
Her routine is something out of an organization guru's handbook—exercise, computer time, puzzle magic, reading, and weaving hats for donations. It's a full day, neatly sequenced out. She's probably never used the term "time-blocking" in her life, but if I were to pop her daily activities into a calendar and color code it, she'd have a visual masterpiece showing how she spends her time.
This whole puzzle thing? It's kind of a brilliant metaphor for organizing our lives when you think about it. Starting with the edge pieces is like setting up the framework of your day with those must-do routines. It's the big picture stuff that gives shape to everything else—the work, the play, the chill time.
Then, there's the dive into the chaos of the middle, sorting those jumbled pieces by color or pattern. It's like tackling the bulk of our day—sorting tasks by category or priority to make things feel a bit less overwhelming. Think of it as color-coding your to-do list, where each color represents a different part of your life. Work stuff? Blue. Personal goals? Green. Fun times? Yellow. It's a way to visually break down the day into manageable chunks.
So, yeah, putting together a puzzle is a lot like plotting out our day. Laying down the edges gives us a clear outline to work within, and sorting the rest by color helps us tackle our tasks in a way that's way less daunting. My grandma's got it down to a science without even realizing it. And if we take a page out of her book, we can piece together our days into something pretty awesome, too.
Just like finishing a puzzle, there's a real satisfaction in seeing how all the pieces fit together perfectly in the end.
Take a moment to write down your 'edge pieces'—the essential routines and tasks that give structure to your day. Then, add some color to your to-do list by categorizing tasks.