Every year my wife and two boys put together a really cool puzzle around Christmas time. I usually wait until it’s about 70% complete, and then kick in to close the deal. Here’s last year’s blog on a way to quickly solve puzzles using a simple method that I employ. Anyways, I try to manage my time well, and puzzle time is no different. I get it done quickly, and now it’s time for me to finish this year’s! Let’s break out a good bottle of red and get started.
But what’s different this year? Will I give more secrets on solving puzzles? I don’t know, maybe… Every puzzle is the same whether it’s 1,000 or 10,000 pieces I believe. So naturally, you’d think the solution is the same for every puzzle, right? Not so much. Last year I spoke on a tactical approach to managing those pieces. This year let’s look at your perspective.
Most problems don’t have nearly as many pieces as a puzzle, but that doesn’t mean it’s a simple problem to solve. Whether you’ve got a problem at home or work (what’s the difference the days), big or small, it’s important to remember where you are when trying to solve them. So what does that even mean? Well, take a look my puzzle. Where am I? Is it upside-down? Am I on the other side of the room? Or, am I four inches away? No on all accounts. I’m actually standing up, high above. Why?
I like to stand up, not only because my Apple watch tells me to stand 50 minutes past the hour, maybe because I’m 44 and circulation is a wee bit more important now than ever, but because I have a much better perspective. I can see all the pieces in one glance. I can visualize the empty spots, see what is unused, get a feel for the depth, the color, size and complexity. And similarly, this approach can be a catalyst to your solution.
When you have a tough problem to solve, where are you? Are you down in the valleys, the weeds, or stuck in the mud? Climb to the top of that problem and look down. See the whole picture, get a feel for its surroundings, and open your mind to this new perspective. No matter the problem you have, stand up, breathe, clear your head and look around. You’ll see a whole new opportunity on how to solve that problem, saving you time and possibly strengthen relationships as you go.
Until next year, Merry Christmas to all of you and your family! Here’s to brighter days ahead!
-Randall Reed, Dataseti President & CEO