Have you ever felt like you have plenty of puzzle pieces to work with but the picture just never seems to fit?
This happens to most of us. We work and work to put all the pieces in place, but we just never seem to quite get the outcome we desire.
So what do we do? We go look for more pieces to add!
We read books, listen to experts, attend seminars and we get all these new “pieces” that are supposed to be what we need to magically make it all come together.
We get excited as we rush to cram this new solution in with the rest of our puzzle pieces only to be let down when we find out that this new wonder piece just doesn’t fit either.
Maybe it’s time to step back and look at your puzzle from a different angle because the first thing you have to do is make sure you are working on YOUR puzzle!
Too many times we get caught up in someone else’s success. We see what they do and what they are building and we immediately try to build it too.
Why not? If it worked for them then it has to work for us, right? Wrong!
Your life is yours. Your business is yours. Your family is yours. Your SUCCESS is yours. Therefore you have to work on your own puzzle and stop trying to build someone else’s.
So how do you build YOUR puzzle?
1. Create Your Vision – It’s important you know what you want your future to look like. Having a clear vision for your future will give a picture that you can use a guide.
Have you ever tried to put a puzzle together without looking at the box top? It can be almost impossible. There are all kinds of blue pieces that you know are sky but which part goes where? How do they all fit together?
Having a clear picture to look at will allow you to see which piece goes where and as you start putting the pieces where they belong, the picture will become clearer. And as your picture starts to come into focus, you’ll see that your vision is becoming reality.
2. Build An Outline – Once you have a clear vision to work with, you have to put together an outline of what needs to be done to make that vision come to fruition.
What’s the first thing you do when you start working on a puzzle? If you’re like most people, you start by building the border. You get all the pieces with that clearly marked “flat” edge and you start putting together the outside border (or “outline”).
Once that border is in place, it becomes easier to see where the rest of the pieces go and how they all fit together. Your outline will do the same thing for your vision.
It will give a reference to look at so you always remember what needs to be done when and where so that you can continue to build and grow your vision.
3. Organize The Pieces – Once the border is done, it’s time to gather and organize the rest of the puzzle. Separating the pieces so they match up in color and imagery allows you to break the puzzle into smaller sections.
You can work on putting these sections together and then add them to the bigger picture as they begin to fit together.
Having your outline done for your vision allows you to do the same thing. You will be able to see the steps that need to be taken, and you will know what needs to be done in order to move forward.
4. Keep It Simple – The biggest mistake that new puzzle builders make is choosing a puzzle that’s way too big!
You don’t have to start with a 1,000 or 2,000-piece puzzle. A 75-piece puzzle makes just as clear a picture.
Don’t allow yourself to get caught up in trying to build something too big too fast. Just because you see someone else has built a puzzle that looks a lot bigger and more impressive doesn’t mean you are ready to put that one together yet.
Focus on your vision and what you need to put together to make it happen. You can always grow it into a larger one.
Stop beating yourself up over puzzle pieces that don’t seem to fit — instead, make sure you’re working on the right puzzle.
Create a vision, build the outline, organize the pieces and fill in the blanks. Before long, your future will come into focus and you’ll find out you are closer to reaching your goals than you thought you were. You’ll become energized, excited, motivated and more importantly ready to LIVE LIFE!