How about we just say: No Big Deal.

A client recently messed something up while her boss was away. It was a tiny thing, according to her and reportedly her boss. Just a problem requiring a little digging to figure out the resolution.

In part, I think because she is an uber-doer, filling her schedule with loads on her personal and professional plates, my client proceeded straight down her rabbit hole spiral of it’s-all-a-mess-I’m-a-disaster-itis. I’m talking about how to manage time when things go wrong on another post, so for now I’ll share with you my million dollar (smile) question I asked, that stopped her spiral in its tracks. “How about we decide, this is No Big Deal?”

Because she had already acknowledged that it wasn’t actually a big deal, that her boss wasn’t mad, and that it was a problem she knew how to solve with a little bit of time, I felt 100% confident in asking it. Especially since even with all that acknowledgment, she still was in a panic. Her reaction? Silence. Then a chuckle. And then, a complete and total loosening of her steely grip on the panic. This allowed her to get grounded, put the problem properly in it’s place, and focus on solutions.

Listen, I get it. Some things actually ARE a big deal, and we can absolutely chat more about how to discern the difference. But when caught in the pull of the freak out session while knowing something has a solution, I would encourage a look in the mirror (bathroom mirror, rear view mirrors, whatever’s handy!), a deep breath, and an ask to your reflection, “maybe this is no big deal?” Then see what control you can reclaim.