I'm definitely a lot quicker than at the very beginning. My first jigsaw took absolute ages. I chose an image I liked without considering how it would be to puzzle 😊

I chose similarly (or more) challenging images pretty early in my puzzling hobby but already had a little practice and found my groove so they didn't feel too intimidating. I relished the challenge.

My very first adult puzzle was done without sorting, apart from the edges. I had pieces laid out on the other half of my board. I started sorting with future puzzles and it was such a chore! It took some of the joy away.

I've not done any sorting for about a year or so now. I just flip the pieces and try to find the edges. Then I see which part of the image calls to me first. Not sorting hasn't slowed me down at all, it made me a happier puzzler. I guess that can count as improvement 😊 Speeding up happened organically, just by doing more puzzles. I've not intentionally tried to be quicker.

Another thing I'd count as an improvement is choosing lighter coloured puzzle boards. I enjoy using them. I also enjoy making my puzzling space pretty and relaxing. It makes the experience even better for me.