It begins with a grid. Simple. Clean. Nine squares across, nine squares down. Some numbers filled in, most left blank. At first glance, it’s a game — a logic puzzle. But over the years, Sudoku became something more for me.
A practice. A mirror. A metaphor for how we navigate uncertainty, pattern-seek through chaos, and learn to trust the process — even when the solution isn’t obvious. The lessons I’ve taken from this tiny 9×9 world have quietly influenced how I work, think, and live.
Step One: Start Somewhere The first rule of Sudoku?
You can’t solve it all at once. You scan the grid and look for an entry point — a row or box with just one missing number. You fill that in. Then another. Then a cascade begins. It’s the same in life. You start with what’s clear. You do what you can. You build momentum. Big change never starts big. It starts small, almost invisible. But once motion begins, clarity expands.
Story: The One Square That Shifted My Day
I remember a morning a few years ago when everything felt off. The day was packed, my mind was scattered, and I couldn’t focus. Instead of diving straight into email or to-dos, I followed my routine, made a cup of Coffee, and opened the Sudoku app in the phone.
Just a few moves in, I felt something shift — not in the puzzle, but in me. One square fell into place. Then another. Ten minutes later, I wasn’t just solving a grid — I was recalibrating my mind. That day, I learned: you don’t need to fix your whole life at once. Just find one corner of calm. One square of focus. Let clarity ripple from there.
Pattern Recognition: Life’s Hidden Language
Sudoku isn’t about math — it’s about patterns. You learn to scan vertically and horizontally, to hold multiple possibilities in mind, to pivot when stuck. It’s cognitive flexibility in action.
A 2020 study from the University of California showed that puzzle-solving improves working memory, spatial awareness, and even emotional regulation. People who practiced logic puzzles daily showed reduced amygdala reactivity during stressful tasks — meaning, they could remain calm under pressure.
The brain, it turns out, loves clarity — but thrives on constructive ambiguity. The ability to not know… and still proceed.
Getting Stuck Is Part of the Game
Every serious Sudoku player has a moment where the grid seems unsolvable. You’ve filled all the obvious cells. You’ve scanned every row. You’ve filled all the blanks with pencil marks And yet, nothing. You’re stuck.
This, too, is a lesson. Not just for puzzles, but for everything. We hit walls — in relationships, careers, goals. We panic. We overthink. But sometimes the best move isn’t to push harder. It’s to pause, zoom out, and return later with fresh eyes.
Many times, I’ve walked away from a puzzle only to return and solve it within seconds. The problem wasn’t the grid. The problem was my grip — too tight, too linear. Sometimes letting go is the smartest strategy.
Advaita and the Grid of Ego
In Advaita Vedanta, identity is a kind of puzzle we spend our whole lives trying to solve.
- Who am I?
- What role do I play?
- What will make me feel complete?
But according to the non-dual perspective, the very “I” trying to solve the puzzle is itself the illusion.
The goal isn’t to fill every square. It’s to realize that the grid itself is a projection — and we are the awareness in which the puzzle arises.
Paradoxically, when I play Sudoku without needing to “win,” I play better. The same applies to life. Action without attachment. Attention without obsession. Play, not performance.
Perfection Isn’t the Goal — Progress Is
There are puzzles I never solve. That’s okay. There are days that remain incomplete. That’s okay too. Sudoku taught me to fail without flinching, to keep trying, to trust that clarity will come — not always immediately, but eventually. And that sometimes, the value isn’t in completing the puzzle, but in how I showed up while solving it.
A Quiet Daily Ritual
Even now, I make sure I start my mornings with a Coffee & Sudoku puzzle. Not as a test of skill, but as a tuning fork for my brain. A way to return to presence, sharpen attention, and remember: every complex situation starts with a single square.
Life, like Sudoku, rewards:
- Focus over frenzy.
- Process over panic.
- One thoughtful move at a time.
Final Reflection
We spend so much of our lives rushing toward solutions — clarity, closure, success. But sometimes, the deepest wisdom lies in sitting with the problem long enough to let it reveal something about us. Sudoku may be a simple game. But if you listen closely, it whispers something profound:
“Start with what you know. Trust the process. Let the pattern emerge.
” Order is even a possibility — let’s explore that on another day. — Prakash Bhagat