So many puzzles, so little time! I was working on a monster of a puzzle last week. More on that next time, but now I’m done, and I can write.

I have about 25 puzzles in my to-do pile. I have a variety of brands, mostly 1000-piece counts. I don’t know about you, but when I complete a puzzle, the important question is “what do I do next?” No joke. You can find me sitting in front of the shelf just staring at the options. I ask my friends. Do I do an easy one? Do I do a brand I never tried? Do I do one I am dreading to get it out of the way? For a puzzler, this is a puzzle.

I asked this question online and learned I am not alone. Several people replied that they have the same problem.

A few people said it depended on their mood or by the time of year and weather. Happy sunny puzzles in summer and darker puzzles on a gloomy day. They save Halloween puzzles for October and Santa Claus for Christmas.

Some people allow their spouses or kids to choose. A few said they would never decide otherwise. I had my mother choose for me the other day, or I would still be sitting on the floor.  

Some people want to reduce their puzzle stash quickly, so they choose ones that will be in higher demand for sale or trade.

Some people live in a family of multiple puzzlers, so they take turns.

One woman said she has almost 200 puzzles with a corresponding numbered album on her phone. She uses a random number generator to help her. I love the ingenuity.

Then there are the ones who ask Alexa for help.

Some people have a few going at once to eliminate choosing.

Some mix it up by image. Landscape to collage, 1000 piece to 500.

Some go in order of purchase, oldest first and newest last.

I thought it was just me.  I don’t think I have any guidelines for this. My only unwritten rule seems to be that I won’t do two of the same brands in a row. When I finished that monster of a Eurographics, I knew I needed something that was calming, so I was happy when my mom chose a lovely Gibsons.

At the end of the day, I will end up doing them all anyway. And I will add more. So, although it doesn’t matter, it’s the nature of a puzzle to solve another puzzle.

How do you choose what to do next?