The Puzzle of Worry: Why You Don’t Need All the Answers Right Now

By Coach Onowa

Do you ever find yourself worrying about the future?

It’s such a shared human experience—our brains are wired to look ahead, predict potential problems, and try to keep us safe. But sometimes, instead of being helpful, worry just keeps us spinning in circles, making us feel exhausted and out of control.

I don’t know about you, but I’ve tested this theory, and I’ve realized:

🔹 Worry doesn’t actually prevent things from happening.
🔹 It doesn’t give me more control.
🔹 It just drains my energy and takes me away from the present moment.

Then, I heard an incredible visual that changed the way I think about worry:

Worrying About the Future is Like Trying to Solve a Puzzle With Missing Pieces

Imagine you’re given a puzzle—but you only have a few of the pieces, and you don’t even know what the full picture is supposed to be.

🧩 Your brain desperately tries to put the puzzle together, but without all the pieces, it can’t make sense of it. So, it just keeps spinning, searching, and getting frustrated.

That’s exactly what happens when we worry about the future.

We’re trying to figure out a problem that doesn’t even fully exist yet—a situation that hasn’t unfolded, with information we don’t have.

💭 No wonder it feels overwhelming!

The Truth: Your Brain Will Solve the Puzzle When the Time Comes

Now, imagine it’s the future—the moment you were once worrying about. But this time, you have:
✔️ All the puzzle pieces.
✔️ The full picture.
✔️ A clear understanding of what’s happening.

What happens?

✨ Your brain knows what to do.
✨ You’re able to take the next step with clarity.
✨ You problem-solve naturally, because you now have the information you need.

How to Use This to Stop Spinning in Worry

Next time you catch yourself spiraling into worry, try this:

1️⃣ Pause and acknowledge it.
🗣 “Oh, I’m trying to solve a puzzle with missing pieces.”

2️⃣ Remind yourself of the truth.
💡 “I don’t have all the information yet. When I do, I will know what to do.”

3️⃣ Bring your focus back to the present.
🏡 “What can I do right now that actually helps me feel better in this moment?”

This simple mindset shift helps you release unnecessary stress and builds trust in yourself—trust that when the time comes, you’ll have everything you need to figure it out.

Final Thoughts

Most of the time, what we worry about never even happens. And even when challenges do arise, we adapt, problem-solve, and handle them—just like we always have.

🌟 You don’t need to solve the future today.
🌟 You will know what to do when you have all the pieces.

I hope this visual helps you as much as it’s helped me. Let me know in the comments—what’s one worry you’re ready to release today?

With trust and calm,
Coach Onowa