Avoiding pressure is the best way to stay calm and productive. When pressure arises, professionals must stay disciplined and manage stress effectively.
Commitments and Pressure
- Commit only when certain. If a commitment is forced upon you, honor it but don’t accept future commitments blindly.
- Messy code slows you down. Writing dirty code under pressure only makes things worse—quick and dirty is an oxymoron.
Crisis Discipline
- True discipline is tested in a crisis. If you abandon best practices under pressure, you don’t truly believe in them.
- Stick to your process even when things get tough—whether it’s TDD, clean coding, or rigorous testing.
Handling Pressure
When pressure is unavoidable:
- Don’t panic. Slow down, breathe, and think before acting.
- Communicate. Keep your team and superiors informed—no surprises.
- Trust your disciplines. Your habits and best practices will guide you.
- Get help. Pair programming can reduce stress and improve problem-solving.
The best way to handle pressure is to prevent it—manage commitments, follow disciplines, and keep your code clean.