The Twist that Changed Everything

If you ever picked up a Rubik’s Cube, at first, you probably assumed you could solve it. Then reality hit. Maybe you end up getting one side, maybe half, or maybe you just peeled the stickers off and hoped no one would notice. Six colors, too many moving parts, and a whole lot of frustration. I get it. It’s frustrating.

Some people jump right in and solve it. Some avoid it entirely because they don’t know where to begin. Both reactions are normal when it comes to the Rubik’s Cube. I have also found that both are also common when it comes to habits.

Building a habit or starting a creative project feels exactly the same. Complicated. Messy. Full of steps you are not totally sure about. It feels easier to stay where you are. Less stress. Less thinking. Less chance of screwing anything up. “Keep it simple stupid.” Right?

Trying to implement something impactful is great, but in practice it can feel like you’ve decided to take on a Rubik’s Cube. Too many moving pieces. Too many ways it could fall apart. Too bad life doesn’t have stickers you can peel off and reapply.

I’ve been caught trying to bite off more than I can chew when it comes to big projects or habit forming, basically anything I’ve subconsciously deemed time consuming. But, they say the best way to eat an elephant is bite by bite.

Notice the things no one would but you. Rick Rubin

Find a small thing that can serve as the first step. Sometimes the thing that feels tiny or insignificant is actually the first piece that clicks into place.

Similarly to the Rubik’s Cube, the only real way to solve anything is by following small repeatable steps. First you line up the white center. Then the white edges. Then the corners. You move slowly until patterns start making sense.

Creatively, it works the same way. You find the first step that gives you traction. For me, that is research and sketching. Those first moves help me understand what the project wants to become or what the habit is supposed to shape in me.

People do not decide their futures, they decide their habits and their habits decide their futures. F. M. Alexander

Your future is built out of the little moves you repeat, not the big idea you imagine.

Whether it is a puzzle, a habit, or a creative idea that feels a little too big, the solution is always the same. One move. Then another. Even when it feels clumsy. Even when you are not sure if you are doing it right.

If you keep turning the cube long enough, eventually something clicks.