Do you have faith in puzzles?

When I was little, I loved doing puzzles.​

On Friday morning I woke up, reliving a memory of my 6-year-old self, sitting up on my knees at the dining room table, entranced in putting the pieces of my newest puzzle together.

I wondered where my nostalgia was stemming from. The day prior I felt anxious, and I fell asleep with a racing mind. It was a  pleasant surprise to wake up feeling so at peace , reflecting on my jig saw puzzle days.

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I thought about it more, and I then realized the deep significance of this memory. My subconscious was trying to tell me something.

The characteristics I possessed as a little girl working on her puzzle were the EXACT qualities I needed to hone in on at this EXACT moment in my life.

Curiosity.
Focus.
Attention on the PRESENT moment.
Patience.
Enjoyment of the process.
Learning.
​Faith that all the pieces would eventually fit!

The day prior, my anxiety came from not feeling “enough”. I was making sales calls for my business, Ants in the Pants. Progress was not happening fast enough. I wanted results NOW. 

I'm not the only one creating too much pressure on myself. Especially as a personal trainer, I witness goal greed all the time. Client's create goals, and then WANT and EXPECT immediate results and gratification.

When that doesn’t happen, they get frustrated. They get upset, stressed out, or in my case- anxious.  We forget our intentions. The bigger picture gets lost when worry sets in.

The message my subconscious was sending to me was this: You're simply working on a big girl Puzzle, Jolie!

Like a little girl holding one puzzle piece in her hand, I need to stay focused on the next step. I need to remember that the goal is merely something to work towards, requiring growth and learning. 

The prize for doing a puzzle isn’t necessarily the completed puzzle itself, but a reflection of the effort required: developing skills, learning from mistakes, not giving up, and  exploring potential opportunities! It's an accumulation of many rewards you can acquire along the way; rewards that you keep, and get to take with you forever as you move forward in your self improvement journey.

Wherever you are on your journey (fitness, weight loss, career, entrepreneurial) I want you to think of your short term goal as a puzzle. 

Envision this puzzle as a piece of another even BIGGER puzzle that reflects all that you desire and want to accomplish!

The things you must do are the pieces of the puzzle. Your action steps are putting of the pieces together.

The joyful memory of being a little girl also reminded me of something else very important. 

STOP WORRYING.

When you worry you strip yourself of the joy that is there to accompany you along the way!  

Because the reality is this...

as soon as you finish your puzzle, you'll receive a brand new (more challenging) puzzle to start working on next.

But you must not concern yourself with the puzzles you didn't get to yet...

Keep your eyes wide open on what is in front of you. You may unveil images you could have never anticipated or expected!

In sharing this very personal realization with you, the point I am trying to make is this:

Stay calm. And go work on your puzzle!