Do you ever feel overwhelmed by an endless list of tasks? Ever find yourself wondering, What if I never get it all done? Here’s a bold truth: you won’t. You will never fully get to the end of that list.
The real challenge lies not in the tasks themselves, but in our relationship to them - especially in our struggle to accept the constant presence of unfinished work.
Learning to tolerate things that remain unsolved or incomplete can free us from this cycle. In a sense, this is a meditation in itself, one that a simple sliding block puzzle can help us explore.
Sliding block challenges, like the Klotski, are perfect tools for this meditation. They offer endless starting configurations, some of which don’t even have a solution. They reflect life’s tasks in this way: a few are solvable, some may be manageable, but many resist completion. Here’s a meditation exercise to try, one that invites you to practice letting go.
Set aside 20 minutes. That may sound like a tall order, but start with whatever feels manageable. Find your sliding block puzzle, place it on a cushion in your lap, and begin by settling into the experience.
Take a moment to set up your Klotski puzzle. The goal is simple: slide the pieces around until you get the large square through the slot at the bottom of the board. You can begin from any configuration you like, arranging the pieces randomly to create a new challenge each time.
Notice the texture of the wood under your fingertips, the grain of the wood, each detail crafted into the pieces. This simple act of noticing is your first step.
As you begin, feel the excitement of the first moves - the possibilities of the puzzle. You may notice thoughts come up about your day or even other things you “should” be doing. When you notice this, return to the sensation of the pieces, the soft sound they make as they slide. Let yourself focus on the physical task at hand.
Over time, you might feel uncertainty rising: Is there even a solution? Am I making any progress? Noticing this is part of the meditation. When you feel frustration or impatience, bring your focus back to the look, feel and sound of the pieces, the weight of the puzzle in your lap. Allow yourself to sit with the not knowing, to tolerate the idea that a solution may or may not be there.
If you do find a solution, enjoy that moment. Then, challenge yourself again by rearranging the pieces into a different starting configuration. You may find yourself creating setups that don’t seem solvable at all, and as you do, notice any low-level frustration at being unable to solve the puzzle. Recognise that feeling and return your attention to the act of puzzling, without needing to reach a conclusion.
Finally, when the timer goes off, you might feel compelled to keep going, to reach a solution. But the meditation is in the letting go. Close the box and put the puzzle away. Let it be unfinished. Reflect on how this exercise mirrors your to-do list: there will always be items left unchecked. Some things in life may never fully be “solved,” and that’s okay.
In this way, sliding block puzzles become an allegory for life’s unfinished tasks and unanswered questions. Some puzzles can’t be solved. And learning to accept that may be one of the most important solutions of all.
