We use habitual methods of thinking to approach life's challenges. In this way we have created deep ruts in our brain. We have truly hard-wired our mechanism for thought, the brain. If we accept the concept that mind is created by consciousness acting upon the brain, we can see that we need to create flexibility in the brain to have flexibility of mind. Not only is doing puzzles daily an excellent way of keeping the mind sharp, but different puzzles exercise different portions of the brain.
Some puzzles stimulate the left brain, some the right brain.
These different modes of thinking apply to solving different kinds of problems. Most of us were educated in the public school system and our logical left brain habits were specifically targeted. Reading, writing and most forms of arithmetic use structured sequential thought. Reasoning is also an attribute of left brain thinking. Developing our ability to reason is an art that results in wisdom.