Do you enjoy doing puzzles? As a child, I really enjoyed puzzles, much more so than my siblings, but now I rarely do them. The exception is when I care for my one-year-old great-niece. We do basic puzzles together. It’s a fun diversion, a challenge for her, and it’s satisfying to see the pieces settle into the little compartments of a one-year-old’s puzzle.
Now that I think about it, I also like the absence of loose ends when you put the last piece in place. Doing puzzles can be relaxing, a way to pass time, a social activity, and a reminder that things will work out.
My coaching and speaking career is a bit like doing puzzles. I enable people to see the pieces of their lives—both now and in retirement—as part of a big picture that needs to be arranged according to their vision and life’s purpose.
Take a minute to think about doing puzzles yourself.
• What do you like best about puzzles?
• Do you do them now, as a child, both, or never?
• Do you hurry through puzzles or take your time?
• Do you do puzzles by yourself or with others?
• What is the largest puzzle you enjoyed doing?
• What is your favorite kind of puzzle (3-D, talking puzzles, double-sided puzzles, classics)?
What do the answers to these questions tell you about how you solve problems? How can you use this information about doing puzzles and apply it to working through the puzzle that is planning for retirement? Perhaps you need to allow more time, enlist help, start with the less-ambitious tasks, or choose something that really interests you instead of just choosing what you have to do. You might also consider the piece listed in “What do I need for a successful retirement?” I’m here to help you solve your retirement puzzle and plan a successful retirement lifestyle.