I remember learning the fire safety motto “stop, drop and roll” but what if you are proverbially on fire? (Think overwhelmed and frazzled)
Stop, think and plan
Stop freaking out. This leads to more mistakes.
Think about how many hours you have to accomplish the task/project/presentation.
Plan that time with intention.
If there aren’t enough hours, divide and conquer.
If you still don’t have enough hours, plan your communication to level set what is possible in this timeframe and how long the rest of the ask will logically take.
When you communicate before a deadline you save face. When you share a plan you gain respect.