This year, for Christmas I asked people to get me things that I could benefit or learn from.
One of the presents I received was a rubix cube. It is well known to people around me that I like to fiddle with something when am thinking, or inbetween work. Typically this would be the end of a pen or something of a similar nature. I find that it helps me focus and to open my mind to looking at a problem in a different way. However, many of these habits were annoying to those around me and I wanted a way continue with my constructive behaviour, remove the annoyance to others and to further promote analytical thinking; the answer to thing dilemma was a rubix cube.
After a couple of hours of reading up on common algorithms and playing around with the cube, I began to commit the algorithms to memory. For anyone whose doesn’t know, there are 6 main algorithms for completing the cube. Firstly you complete one side. Then using this side as the bottom face, you complete the bottom two rows. Thirdly you form a cross on the top face, before aligning the edge pieces of this cross with their corresponding sides. Following this you position the corners correctly before finally orienting the corners, resulting in a completed cube.
The process of learning these algorithms did not take me long, but committing them and learning to perform them quickly is part of the on going enjoyable process. I find myself picking up the cube whenever I am analysing a problem, and find that it provided a similar effect that I traditionally only got from taking a break, or a walk. I find it has improved my productivity and has ultimately turned my habit into a productive enterprise.
For anyone, who, like me finds themselves fiddling consistently, I recommend you pick up a cube and getting solving!
