Think about the last task you completed. Did it take you around the time you’d estimated? Probably not. Our perceptions of our available time, our abilities, and any roadblocks we may hit are greatly skewed. This is a phenomenon called the planning fallacy and it happens to professionals at all levels and in every occupation. What can we do along the way to keep us on target and help us meet our goals?

• Take the outside view: This is grounded in objectivity, data, and statistics, not our own experience or personal biases. The next time you find yourself struggling to estimate, ask: How much time and effort have similar tasks required in the past?
• Commit early and publicly: Give yourself a little bit of external commitment pressure in order to not leave all of your work to the last minute. For example, gather all the resources you need to finish your work offline, then ask your roommate or partner to disable the WiFi and to not reinstate the connection until you emerge from your desk.
• Schedule buffer time: Keep in mind that there will always be factors outside of your control, and moreover, you may very well be overestimating your capabilities. To ensure a more realistic deadline, take your original estimate and increase it by 25%.
• Assume the worst: Start by imagining what will go wrong before it actually does. By doing so, you’ll be better able to foresee potential (if unlikely) issues. And you’ll be equipped to develop a suitable backup plan as a preventative measure.