The Jigsaw Puzzle Challenge – Make Your Self a Genius

On a recent program aired in the National Geographical Channel during the first month of 2008, it was contended that some are naturally born, some are nourished, while some are accidental geniuses. This means that every one stands a chance of being a genius given luck or through intense training. If you will not fall within the “luck” line, you may nurture yourself to be the Einstein that you dream of. All you need to possess the desire to hone yourself and the exceptional patience it takes to get there, in substitute for the rare genes that you cannot have.

The state of being intellectually brilliant is oftentimes attached to a specific ability such as in mathematics or chess playing. The degree of concentration into one field perhaps allows one person to further improve his talent, enabling him to detach himself from a bigger world and focus in a world he knows so well, which no ordinary person can go to.

So if you want to become brilliant on something, you need to devise a training program that will not only sharpen your skills but also let yourself be totally immersed on it.

Most people think that kids jigsaw puzzles are just a way to have fun. Little do people know that they have the ability to develop mental skills. But that isn't the only reason why jigsaw puzzles are an ideal discipline to hone your talents. Aside from that fact, these games are commercially available, providing a great accessibility in the market, one that you can get into even at the comfort of your home.

And speaking of upgrading your mental ability, here are basic ideas to jumpstart your career.

Start Early – According to most psychologists, the best time to nurture yourself is at the earliest stage of your lifetime. Children pose more potential to improve since they are at a phase where they can easily learn. They absorb and retain information for a longer term than adults. The most critical period is from infant stage to later childhood stage. Infants can already be trained through music and exposure to toys. For kids puzzles, there are items that are already meant for toddlers, 18 months and below. However, there is no expiration age when it comes to learning. This means that you must start as early as now.

Plan a program – A key to proper training is identifying a time frame, the activities at certain time period, and a strategic organization of the activities involved. You must try to plan from short- to medium-term, and learn from there to adjust frequency of trainings for the longer-term. Setting a standard is a great idea, like imposing yourself to solve at least three puzzles, with puzzle pieces appropriate for your age, daily at the start of your program. This will serve as a warm up for you. After working some time, increase the number of puzzles you need to solve.

Intensify – This is very core of your training. If you intend to be a genius on difficult jigsaw puzzles, increase the level of difficulty given a time period or whenever you feel you need to be more challenged. Start with the easier ones, those that have a small number of pieces then gradually deal with the more complicated ones. Do not jump on difficult ones since this will discourage you.

Share – Any activity is worth doing if you have someone to share with. Show your parents or friends how you fare so they can give comments too. They can also share the activity with you and you'll all be up for a fun and a more challenging work out.

Remember that these are just guidelines, not rules to turn you into a genius-in-the-making. The secret still lies on how you seriously undertake your training, with a focused and strong determination to beat the odds.