--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: But what if …?” “What happens when …?”…" description: "\"“But what if …?” “What happens when …?” “Don’t we need to plan for …?” Don’t make up problems you don’t have yet. It’s not a problem until it’s a real ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ced/jason-fried-2868_worry_but-what-if-what-happens-when-don-t-we-n_2995613.jpg" --- # But what if …?” “What happens when …?” “Don’t we need to… ![“But what if …?” “What happens when …?” “Don’t we need to plan for …?” Don’t make up problems you don’t have yet. It’s not a problem until it’s a real problem. Most of the things you worry about never happen anyway.” quote by Jason Fried](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ced/jason-fried-2868_worry_but-what-if-what-happens-when-don-t-we-n_2995613.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ced/jason-fried-2868_worry_but-what-if-what-happens-when-don-t-we-n_2995613.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ced/jason-fried-2868_worry_but-what-if-what-happens-when-don-t-we-n_2995613.jpg) > ““But what if …?” “What happens when …?” “Don’t we need to plan for …?” Don’t make up problems you don’t have yet. It’s not a problem until it’s a real problem. Most of the things you worry about never happen anyway.”” [Jason Fried](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-fried/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Worrying about hypothetical problems wastes energy; focus on real issues that exist now. **In simple terms:** Don’t create problems that aren’t there. Key Takeaway Prioritize present challenges over imagined ones. Themes productivity mindset planning anxiety Mood pragmatic calm Type business motivational When to use this quote - project management - decision making - stress reduction - goal setting Key Concepts focus efficiency problem‑solving Questions to Reflect On - What worries you that never materializes? - How can you stay present in planning? A Different Perspective Over‑planning can sometimes prevent innovation. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Make Problems](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/make-problems-1412010/) [Problem Things](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/problem-things-494800/) [Things Worry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/things-worry/) [Worry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/worry/) [Worry Happen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/worry-happen-2052892/) ## Related quotes > [“Don’t make up problems you don’t have yet. It’s not a problem until it’s a real problem. 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Keep in the sunlight.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-franklin/do-not-anticipate-trouble-or-worry-about-what-may-never-happen-keep/) [Benjamin Franklin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-franklin/) > [I'm so tired of being tired. Sure as night will follow day most things I worry about will never happen anyway.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-petty/i-m-so-tired-of-being-tired-sure-as-night-will-follow-day-most-things/) [Tom Petty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-petty/) > [Every day, I worry about what will happen the next day](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clare/every-day-i-worry-about-what-will-happen-the-next-day/) [CLARE](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clare/) ## More by Jason Fried > [“If no one’s upset by what you’re saying, you’re probably not pushing hard enough. (And you’re probably boring, too.)”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-fried/if-no-one-s-upset-by-what-you-re-saying-you-re-probably-not-pushing/) [Jason Fried](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-fried/) > [“Ironically, you’ll probably get far more done when only half of your workday overlaps with the rest of your team. Instead of spending the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-fried/ironically-you-ll-probably-get-far-more-done-when-only-half-of-your/) [Jason Fried](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-fried/) > [“Also, don’t be timid about your conclusions. 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Decide…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-fried/whenever-you-can-swap-let-s-think-about-it-for-let-s-decide-on-it/) [Jason Fried](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-fried/) > [“As Sir Richard Branson commented in his ode to working remotely: “To successfully work with other people, you have to trust each other. A…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-fried/as-sir-richard-branson-commented-in-his-ode-to-working-remotely-to/) [Jason Fried](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-fried/) [Explore all 145 Jason Fried quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-fried/) ## More Worry quotes > [“Snip off the little worries and expressions of worry” like little branches atop a tall tree.28 If you are truly worried, sharing your concerns…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-sanders/snip-off-the-little-worries-and-expressions-of-worry-like-little/) [Tim Sanders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-sanders/) > [Not reassuring when weathermen say 'Today will be terrible but don't worry it won't be as terrible as tomorrow or Friday.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonah-goldberg/not-reassuring-when-weathermen-say-today-will-be-terrible-but-don-t/) [Jonah Goldberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonah-goldberg/) > [Bein Crazy is the least of my worries.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-kerouac/bein-crazy-is-the-least-of-my-worries/) [Jack Kerouac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-kerouac/) > [Pray, hope, don't worry.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pio-of-pietrelcina/pray-hope-don-t-worry/) [Pio of Pietrelcina](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pio-of-pietrelcina/) > [“I worry about you. Not just about your safety. I worry when you’re stressed. I worry when you’re unhappy.” His words leveled her world.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amber-a-bardan/i-worry-about-you-not-just-about-your-safety-i-worry-when-you-re/) [Amber A. Bardan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amber-a-bardan/) > [You should never stress and worry when you can always pray and have Faith.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/you-should-never-stress-and-worry-when-you-can-always-pray-and-have/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Some people, you know, should just go to college and do what they do and have a great job and not worry about trying…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-legend/some-people-you-know-should-just-go-to-college-and-do-what-they-do/) [John Legend](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-legend/) > [ “\[T\]he people who are close to Allah worry so much about wasting time that they call themselves to account for every breath they spend… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ethar-el-katatney/t-he-people-who-are-close-to-allah-worry-so-much-about-wasting-time/) [Ethar El- Katatney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ethar-el-katatney/) > [“But if that was going to happen, it was going to happen whether or not he worried about it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/n-d-wilson/but-if-that-was-going-to-happen-it-was-going-to-happen-whether-or-not/) [N.D. Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/n-d-wilson/) > [I worry about Las Vegas schools. I hear in math, they only teach them to count to 21.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rita-rudner/i-worry-about-las-vegas-schools-i-hear-in-math-they-only-teach-them/) [Rita Rudner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rita-rudner/) > [If you’re alive, don’t move, if you’re dead, don’t worry about it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurell-k-hamilton/if-you-re-alive-don-t-move-if-you-re-dead-don-t-worry-about-it/) [Laurell K. Hamilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurell-k-hamilton/) > [If I told my wife I was going to become a manager she'd say 'sign this then. Don't worry it's only a divorce. Au…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-ginola/if-i-told-my-wife-i-was-going-to-become-a-manager-she-d-say-sign-this/) [David Ginola](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-ginola/) > [If you’re worrying about the past, you’ve got a good chance of screwing up the future.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-a-tullman/if-you-re-worrying-about-the-past-you-ve-got-a-good-chance-of/) [Howard A. Tullman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-a-tullman/) > [ When they \[people with insomnia\] start worrying about not sleeping, I'll say, "Say the mantra to myself; if I don't sleep tonight, I'll likely… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shelby-harris/when-they-people-with-insomnia-start-worrying-about-not-sleeping-i-ll/) [Shelby Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shelby-harris/) > [You could get in rehearsals, pre-production, anything that would actually contribute to the understanding of how a film gets made. I actually find those…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-roach/you-could-get-in-rehearsals-pre-production-anything-that-would/) [Jay Roach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-roach/) [Browse all 8,386 Worry quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/worry/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“But what if …?” “What happens when …?” “Don’t we need to plan for …?” Don’t make up problems you don’t have yet. It’s not a problem until it’s a real problem. 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