I live on the third floor of a beautiful 100-year-old Victorian building in Boston. Four months ago our condo association started a construction project that included a two-story high jack hammering machine that sat right outside our kitchen window.

Not only was it pounding away all day, every day, and making a horrible sound, but it was creating so much dust that the inside of our condo became covered with a thick gray film.

At first I thought, “I can handle cleaning this up, it’s not that much dust.” But one day in mid-January, as I looked across our foyer and could actually see the dust in the air, I realized that it was on every wall, every inch of the floor, and every single thing we owned. In a single moment this problem went from something that I thought I could handle to such a big job that I could hardly speak rationally about it.

Although I consider myself a great house cleaner, this was all new to me. I’d never had to deal with the extreme amount of dirt and dust that covered my home. It was clear that I didn’t know how to tackle this by myself. Thankfully, the air cleaning professionals from EnviroTech came to my rescue. One of their clean-up specialists, Randall, assessed the situation and explained that his team would partition the condo into sections in order to contain the dust and remove it systematically from every surface while cleaning the air.

I felt so relieved that I found myself laughing out loud when I realized how overwhelmed I’d become by the prospect of cleaning the house myself.

I was instantly reminded of the meetings that I have with small business owners week after week. When we sit down to talk, they start off excited and animated. As the meeting progresses, I see it happen-they get overwhelmed, just as I did when surveying the film of dust covering my home.

First let me say that these are smart business people, and many are experts in their fields. But being an expert and doing work that you love doesn’t always prepare you for running a successful business. If you’re like me, you’ve learned this the hard way and probably more than once.

The important thing to remember when facing a new situation is this:  break it down into bite-sized pieces. Here’s what I do when I get overwhelmed about what to do, how to do it, and what to do first.

• Identify it. Spend time figuring out where you want to go first. I often hear clients say “I need this or that” and usually it’s really a solution (a website, a brochure, a fill-in the-blank). Instead, identify the result you’re looking for-whether it’s more customers or a better organized workspace – and then brainstorm some ways to get there.

• Map it. Literally. I use Post-it notes. Capture every idea you have about how to achieve the results you want, no matter how big, small or crazy. Write just one idea per Post-it and stick it on the wall.

• Organize it. Group the Post-it notes into discrete projects that break down into tasks. If there are some outliers, hold on to them. When you get clearer about the projects they’ll either make sense or you can toss them.

• Do it. I recently heard someone say, “Just get one done,” and that really resonated with me. As business owners, if we can just get a little momentum going, feel some progress, and have a plan, it’s much easier to stay calm and in action. So pick one project and get started!

When I think of Randall, who transforms houses and manages cleaning crews every day, I realize that there was nothing overwhelming to him about my home. In fact, it was probably pretty easy for him to see how to logically section off the house for cleaning because he’s had so much experience with this exact situation.

So remember this when you’re facing an unfamiliar situation:  chances are, it’s only daunting because it’s the first time you’re seeing it. So keep calm, get in gear, and carry on.

At the risk of having you think that I’m one of those odd cat ladies, I want to tell you another story about Marty, my cat.

Last week I walked into the kitchen after breakfast and found Marty sitting on the kitchen counter. The poor guy was crying and clearly in pain. Next thing you know, I’m driving Marty to the emergency room at Angell Memorial Hospital in Jamaica Plain, right up the street from where I live.

In case you’re not a pet owner, let me tell you that having a sick animal is stressful. And having a sick animal at the emergency room without the benefit of Blue Cross Blue Shield introduces a whole new level of stress.

Since I’ve been here before and know the drill, I took Marty straight to the emergency desk for triage. After checking out Marty’s condition, the doctor decided to admit him. Cha-ching! My credit card was swiped for $156. On top of that, before they would take him to be treated, I had to sign a waiver authorizing the doctors to spend an additional $500, if necessary. Cha-ching, cha-ching! And this was just to find out what was wrong.

The doctor was young, bright, and very earnest. She immediately launched into a treatment plan that included blood work, urinalysis, x-rays, catheters, overnight stays and the possibility of surgery.

My mind was spinning with all this new information and I was feeling the urgent need to make a fast decision because Marty was in pain. At the same time, I wanted to know how much this was going to cost and weigh my options before jumping in.

Later on, while waiting for Marty’s test results, it occurred to me that many small business owners are often faced with these kinds of situations-characterized as unexpected, unfamiliar and high-risk. If you find yourself in a similar predicament, here’s what I recommend:

• Decide what you need to know (and what you don’t). It turns out that some of the more expensive tests for Marty would have given us information more quickly, but knowing earlier wouldn’t have made a difference in our actions. As a business owner, you may also have the urge to know everything when, in fact, all you really need to know are the things that will impact action.

• Don’t be afraid to talk about money. When I was talking to Marty’s doctor, I wanted to know how much each procedure was going to cost so I could weigh the benefits against the cost (what was interesting is that she didn’t know). Part of me felt terrible pursuing questions about money in the face of Marty’s crisis, but boy am I glad I did. And what’s even more interesting is that, by factoring money into the equation, I made better decisions for Marty’s wellbeing.

• Be clear about what problem you’re trying to solve. At the hospital that day, my goal wasn’t to get as much information as possible about my cat. My goal was to stop the pain and figure out how to get Marty feeling better. By the same token, whether you’re chasing after the latest social media craze, a new phone system or even a new website, make sure you know where you want to go before you get behind the wheel and start driving!

Remember, you (almost always) have more options than you think.

Even though it might feel like you need to jump into action, take some time to sketch out the problem, get clear on your options, and get your team on board first. You’ll save money and time, and be a lot happier with your decision once the panic has passed.

P.S. Marty’s great – he’s getting better every day and I’m happy to report that he’s back to using the kitchen counter for birdwatching, his favorite hobby.