Assembled one piece at a time (without looking at the picture on the box:-)
- Bob Mann
After writing last week about jigsaw puzzles and the step-by-step patience necessary to put them together, I knew you’d want to see the finished product, so here it is! This 500-piece ”artist’s whimsical view of Seattle” puzzle’s dimensions are actually 24″ x 18″ and there is an incredible amount of detail (for example, all those tall buildings are of a different design, and therefore they were the hardest parts to figure out. Besides Mt. Rainier and the Space Needle (which you can see here), the artist also included Pike’s Market, the Monorail, and a zillion other small features that don’t show up clearly in this photo.
Now if I can just be as diligent about achieving my business goals as I was about finishing this puzzle, I’ll be in great shape! But that brings up an interesting point, and it’s something that Barbara Sher talked about in the video I featured with my Day 57 post. When you’re doing something you actually like doing—whatever it may be—you have no problem staying motivated to get it done! And in fact, the purpose of doing something you like is not even to “get it done”—rather, it’s to enjoy the process of doing it! Consider this: I suppose if I was talking with Barbara Sher and she asked me to name some things I really like doing, I wouldn’t even bother mentioning “solving jigsaw puzzles” because it seems so trivial. An amusing pastime, nothing important, and I would probably even consign it to the “wasting time” category. Although I enjoyed doing jigsaw puzzles as a kid, this is the first one I’ve tackled in many, many years because….well…..because now that I’m grown up there are so many other more important things to think about.
I suspect that Barbara, hearing such an explanation, would stop me in my tracks and tell me to pay close attention to exactly what it is about solving jigsaw puzzles that I like! No, she wouldn’t be suggesting that I seek employment as a professional jigsaw puzzle solver (I haven’t seen any “help wanted” ads for that position lately), but she would want me to identify what it is about the process of solving puzzles that appeals to me—and then, using my creative imagination, try to think of actual marketable skills in which I could use that same ability and drive. She would say it’s critical that I identify that particular motivating force because it taps into something I’m really passionate about, rather than just settling for what seems “realistic” or “practical.”
So if you missed Barbara’s video, I suggest clicking on the March 29 (“Day 57″) post and watching it (to the end, where there’s an “Aha!” moment that has something to do with gorillas). I’m glad she’s around to keep reminding us that it’s OK to do what we really like doing—and by using a little imagination, we might even be able to figure out how to find or create a job for ourselves that taps into that passion!
Copyright © 2010 by Bob Mann
Comments