Before you turn anything on, read the recipe once from start to finish. You will know how long it really takes, what needs to come out of the fridge, and whether a step has to wait, like a dough that rests or an oven that preheats. Then set everything out on the counter: the ingredients, weighed or cut, and the equipment. That is what cooks call the mise en place, and it is the difference between cooking calmly and running around while something burns.
Nothing goes on the heat until everything is out and ready.
Five to ten minutes at the start of a recipe, and you win them back while things cook.
If you find out halfway that an ingredient is missing, look at the page "Adapt a recipe": there is almost always a simple swap. If you missed a step, turn off the heat, read again, and carry on.
The grandma-style bolognese sauce. Once everything is cut and out, all that is left is to brown, then let it simmer.