2025 Issue #2 🧩

Happy Sunday, Reader!

Greetings from Sheboygan, where we actually have five seasons.

The time between Christmas and the New Year is Puzzle Season in our household. (Except for my wife, who is not the least bit interested in them, but is eager to take advantage of the fact that we are all distracted.)

Me and the kids usually enjoy the 1000-piece varieties but hate the unnecessarily hard ones. (All double-sided puzzles, or those made entirely of pieces that are mostly one color, should be rounded up and incinerated.)

Our biggest accomplishment thus far was a 3,000-piece behemoth that featured Peanuts characters.

At first I thought, "This is totally doable. Not too difficult."

Reality set in when we started sorting all the pieces, putting them face-up. To have space for them all, we had to shift our operation to the ping-pong table. Ginny had the idea to set aside the edges as we found them, which turned out to be a stroke of genius. But that too was sobering, taking way longer than I expected.

Everyone contributed — except Kim — but eventually, Ben and I signed up for the bulk of the job.

We would scale Everest or die trying.

There were times I never thought we'd make it. I reminded myself, one piece at a time, knowing that every piece added successfully was one less to sort through.

Sometimes I got delightfully lost in the quest. I was in the zone and hours passed like minutes. Other times I was frustrated, going half an hour having placed only a few pieces.

When I was away from the puzzle, my subconscious would conjure up a strategy to try the next time I returned. (Look for everything of a certain color. Group all the like pieces together. Work on all seven hundred Snoopys separately before adding them to the larger puzzle.)

Eventually, we finished it. We were older, wiser, and furious at Charles Schulz for creating so many characters whose faces are so dang similar.

I also came away with some helpful lessons (reminders?) for any of us who are in the midst of an overwhelming endeavor:

• At the beginning, a project always seems easier than it will be. (I can see the top of that mountain from here; how hard can it be to walk up there?) Perhaps this is for the best, or else we may never get started. Nevertheless, It's a good truth to keep in mind to help ward off the inevitable discouragement that will come.

• We should listen for and be open to the ideas of others, even people who are younger, or less experienced than us. They may have suggestions that could help us greatly. (Thanks Ginny!)

• There are times when everything is clicking: You're in the zone. You're having fun and it's easy. Roll with it, as long as you can. This rarely happens early in the process. It's often a reward for putting in the hours.

• There will be a point where the task becomes overwhelming and looks unfinishable. In those moments, remind yourself to take one step at a time. It's simple math: Each step taken is one less step to take.

• Working harder isn't always the answer. Sometimes we need to get away from what we're working on. Take a walk. Do something else for a while. Forcing it only leads to frustration, and our subconscious will work on the puzzle while we are away, giving us ideas and strategies we wouldn't have otherwise considered.

Perhaps you are in the middle of a 3000-piece puzzle in your life, one that isn't made of colorful paper and cardboard.

I wish you well and hope one of these reminders sustains you on your quest.

You've got this!

Just take it one piece at a time.

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🤔 I wonder...what tips do you have for solving puzzles that also apply to everyday life? Hit reply to share your thoughts with me, or join the conversation in the Escape Adulthood League!

Stay young and stay fun,

P.S.

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