What Works: Do you crunch come crunch time?
Submitted by editor on Mon, 03/30/2015 - 9:46am
Yesterday, I found myself in Walmart doing last minute “Band-Aid shopping” for a party I was throwing. Band-Aid shopping is a special kind of shopping. No, I’m not talking about shopping for Band-Aids. I’m talking about shopping for items that will be a temporary fix to a problem.
As they say, the show must go on. And when faced with a gas grill with no propane, no punch bowl, and birthday cake without ice cream, I went into go fix-it mode. T-minus one hour until the DJ arrived to set up for the party and I hit the road for a solution.
Of course, when seeking solutions, money can be concern. I know it was in my case. New propane tanks were an unplanned expense. (I plan my spending very carefully.) So, what did I do? Well, I could have opted for oven cooked or boiled hot dogs. I nixed that idea immediately. After all, it’s hardly an outdoor bar-be-cue when there’s no one manning a grill, right? A $10 tabletop grill and a $5 bag of Matchlight later and I was in business.
Lesson learned: There are multiple ways to look at a problem and usually multiple solutions to a single problem. The art is in finding the solution that fits best.
Here’s the deal. I was far from being a zen mistress during this process. I was far from having a panic attack, but I was speaking fast, walking fast, and my heart rate was up. I was crunching come crunch time. Something had to be done to bring me back into balance. Fortunately, I had my easy-going boyfriend by my side to Jiminy Cricket me into a realization.
I was anxious about nothing.
It’s something we all do. Something important comes up and we go into fight mode. With a DJ hitting my doorstep in an hour, I put myself on my own race clock. I sprinkled in additional stressors with a heavy dose of perfectionism and before you know it I was at risk of becoming a Birthday Party-zilla.
Does any of this sound familiar?
I don’t have the time to…
I don’t have the money to…
I won’t be satisfied unless…
It won’t go as well if…
These won’t and don’t statements are at the core of the anxiety we experience when we feel we are “on the clock.” I realized I was being my worst enemy in that situation. This applies in business too, especially when we are faced with an important deadline or crucial decision. Try instead to give yourself a few reality-check gifts.
I have the time to…
I have the budget to…
I will be OK.
This will go well.
That small shift may just save you a few extra heart beats, some sweat, and maybe some tears if the anxiety gets too big.
Think of a time when you were crunching come crunch time. What happened? What could you have done differently? The floor is yours, Carson City.
ABOUT DIANE HANSEN
Diane Hansen is the Chief Inspiration Officer of What Works Coaching, a coaching firm that has helped people worldwide with their businesses, careers, mindsets, and profit margins. She brings to Carson City more than 17 years of experience with a wide array of clients, ranging from top corporations, motivated entrepreneurs and individuals hungry for a fresh start. Her column appears every Monday, and sometimes Tuesday, on Carson Now.
