Over two years ago, I downloaded a free app that has a daily Sudoku on it. I do the easy level and for easily a year the majority of those were hard for me. People who know me are amazed I do this as I ‘hate math’ but I try to explain it is more counting and logic than math. Part of the reason I started doing it was to see if it would help to keep my brain thinking and stronger. The other day as I sat down to do the morning puzzle while I ate my English muffin and yogurt, I started to ponder why I do still this every morning and what I have learned.

Step Away.  Because morning life is busy, I sometimes stop mid puzzle and then return to in about 5 minutes later. It always amazes me that I can see a pattern or the right number for the space upon return. I have tried muscling it out when I get stuck, and it just seems to make it take longer and more frustrating. I have learned that the small break, the refocusing on something entirely different before returning to the issue, makes all the difference.

Guess. As a way of life, I don’t guess a whole lot. I have a Plan A and B and a solid start on C. Not a lot is left to chance. My morning puzzle has taught me sometimes you need to make an educated guess. That square could be a 4 or 5, it would be stupid to put a 9 in there. But guessing 4 or 5, that is ok. And sometimes you are right, and sometimes you are wrong. But it is ok to just lean into your gut and go with it.

Routine. I enjoy that this is a part of my morning routine. It kickstarts my brain and makes me feel like I am exercising it to some degree. I do find in the mornings I don’t do the daily puzzle; I miss it. Not to the point of ruining the day but more like a piece of the day is missing. (and yes I do go ahead and do two the next day).

Seeing Improvement. One of the things that my spouse and I have discussed is the contentment you feel in a job well done that you can see. You go out and mow the grass. When you are done, you feel a bit hot and tired but you look around and SEE the difference your effort has made. In my library job, it was much harder to see the difference and there were times I would become quite discouraged. Sudoku has taught me to make small goals and be pleased with them but also take the time to see the big picture and how it adds up. Compound interest if you will.

Asking for Help. It will surprise no one that I have a great deal of difficulty in asking for help. And I am by no way a rock star at it these days, but I am better. There are times when I am doing the puzzle that I am just stuck and I click Hint. And sometimes the hint makes me feel stupid or at least shows that I was being impatient, and I needed to look a bit harder at the issue at hand. But sometimes I look at the hint and I would have had no idea how to figure that out. And that sums up asking for help to me; sometimes the help is something I was doing any way and I just needed to focus. But sometimes, it is a thing I would have never even thought about approaching that direction and that is why you ask for help.

I doubt your life is lacking if you don’t do a daily Sudoku, but for me there have been surprise benefits that I would have never guessed when I first downloaded this app and really, it is not math…thank goodness!