I just finished my 2nd 1000-piece puzzle of the pandemic. As I was working, I had a real a-ha moment about why I like puzzles so much. A puzzle is an organizing project which follows all the stages of any big project. At first, just like your pantry, garage, or closet, it’s a massive pile of things that don’t go together and on your initial viewing of it, you feel a bit overwhelmed and unsure how to start. But then you dive in. Like any organizing project, you begin by sorting. For many the first sort is finding the edges. Maybe you sort the pieces by color or pictured item. My mathematician father-in-law not only doesn’t start with the edges, he never looks at the picture on the box. I use old take-out containers to keep things together, and a cookie sheet to spread others out. Organizing is not a one-size-fits-all thing. We find the systems that work for our brains. Sort you must, because until you have like pieces together, you can’t assemble anything. Gradually, you start to see the patterns that emerge. You put things together. You take breaks when you get tired or hit a wall. Step-by-step, you take the chaos that was that box of cut-up cardboard, and create a work of art.  Just like turning a crowded pantry into a functional and attractive space.