Limits encourage ingenuity

This weekend I set out to solve the problem of what to do with our puzzles when they are in-progress, but not actively being completed.

I thought about purchasing a handmade puzzle board from an artisan, but it would be at least $75 + 1-2 weeks before it would arrive.

Or I could buy the cheapest option available from a large online retailer with 2-day free shipping.

Or I could purchase the materials to DIY a solution.

Which led me to realize, finally, after 30 minutes of looking at puzzle boards online and adding up what it would cost to make my own, I might have something in our home already that I could use.

Maybe it wouldn’t be perfect. But it would allow me to solve the problem without making a new purchase and adding something new to my home that I would not need routinely or at all a few years from now.

When we get used to clicking “add to cart” every time we sense something isn’t perfect, then the times when we can’t as easily buy our way out of problem result in us blaming our lack of money, when it is our lack of ingenuity that is at fault.

Every time we solve our problem without relying on new purchase, we flex our creative muscle. Which in turn makes it easier for us to face the big and small problems that pop up each day with less anxiety and mental strain.

Only then can be break the cycle of running to the store, whether online or brick-and-mortar, every time a minor inconvenience presents itself.

This puzzle in-progress currently resides on a chalkboard that I can easily slide under the media console when not in use and transport to any surface or space in our household.