In 2009, Captain Chelsey “Sully” Sullenberger, successfully landed US Airways Flight 1549 in the icy Hudson River after the engines failed. All of the passengers and crew survived. The incident is known as “The Miracle on the Hudson.”

The word “miracle” suggests divine intervention but Sullenberger’s decidedly grounded mindset during the emergency underscores the value of earthly experience and skill. Sullenberger is certainly a hero but it was more than heroism that enabled him to do what he did. Research helps explain how Sullenberger rose to the challenge.

How pilots respond to a stressful situation was the subject of a recent study of commercial airline pilots in a flight simulator exercise. Two simple questions predicted how the pilots would react:

1. “How demanding do you expect the task to be?”
2. “How able are you to cope with the demands of the task?”

The pilots scored their answer to each question on a scale of 1 (not at all) to 6 (extremely). The difference between the two provided a single measure of whether the pilots interpreted the forthcoming emergency as a challenge (when coping ability outweighs demands) or a threat (coping ability insufficient for the demands).

The important finding was that this single measure accurately predicted how well the pilots subsequently coped with the engine failure during the flight simulation. Pilots who rated the upcoming situation as more of a threat tended to perform worse than those who rated it more as a challenge.

In other words, those who felt up to the challenge did better.

What the pilots paid attention to during the emergency was particularly important. The pilots who felt threatened during the crisis were looking in the wrong places whereas those who felt up to the task focused on the right controls.

The study has implications for pilot training and beyond the cockpit. Approaching an obstacle or crisis with both competence and confidence can make a sizeable difference in how you weather a storm.

There’s nothing worse than being late: the frantic rush to get there, the shame when you arrive, the excuses, fumbling to recover your grace and dignity.

Here are some tips and tricks to be on time:

1. Know your Inner clock

Why are you always late? Is it the commute, losing track of time while you eat cereal staring at the news, the last minute dog walk? Figure out the causes and tweak your schedule accordingly: check the traffic before you leave, don’t watch the news, walk the dog as soon as you get up rather than right before you shoot out the door.

Are you a morning person? Be realistic; if you’re not a morning person try scheduling meetings and appointments for the afternoon.

Know how long things really take. Make a log of everything you do and how long it takes. You’d be surprised, some of the most trivial tasks take much longer than we think, like folding laundry or doing the dishes.

2. Trick Time

Set your clock a few minutes earlier.

Schedule being early. If your appointment is at 1pm, put it in your calendar as 12:45. Planning on being early leaves time for any last minute things that need doing, including checking your teeth for spinach and gathering yourself for that meeting or job interview.

3. Save time and Sanity in the AM

Wake up earlier. It’s worth it. There’s no worse way to start the day than in a panicked rush.

Prep the night before. Make your lunch and lay out your outfit.

Organize your exit. Keys, check. Wallet, check. Jacket, check. Don’t waste time loosing them, designate a spot near your door and always leave them there.

4. And Finally:

Just say no. Anyone would rather a rain check than waiting for an hour. It’s okay to say no to friends and social engagements. You get annoyed when a friend is tardy; imagine how annoyed they get when they’re waiting for you.

I’ve been on a calendar, but I’ve never been on time.

~Marilyn Monroe

It’s one thing to achieve mastery. It is quite another to be able to perform under pressure. Psychologist Sian Beilock, author of Choke: What the Secrets of the Brain Reveal About Getting it Right When You Have To, defines choking as suboptimal performance, not just poor performance.

It’s a performance that is inferior to what you can do and have done in the past and occurs when you feel pressure to get everything right.

The most painful part about choking is that you know you can and have done better.

Choking can occur regardless of the number of hours spent practicing. Examples in sports abound. Golfer Greg Norman painfully choked at the 1996 US Masters. Entering the final round he had a six-stroke lead over Nick Faldo and then blew it. Snowboarding champion Shaun White famously missed winning gold at the 2014 Olympic winter games.

Why does the brain sabotage performance just when it matters most? Beilock believes that overthinking the situation is the problem. She calls it paralysis by analysis. Paralysis by analysis occurs when we try too hard to control every little thing. This over-attention to detail interferes with the fluidity and flow of well-rehearsed skills and ultimately undermines the ability to do something that would normally be relatively easy.

You don’t need to be a star athlete to experience choking. It can happen to any of us at key moments. A student who fails even though she was prepared for a test, an entrepreneur who freezes while presenting to potential investors, a well-qualified applicant who blows a key interview.

Try the following tricks to help you stay at the top of your game:

1. Say Om

Meditating before the big event calms the mind, reduces anxiety and increases cognitive horsepower.

2. Practice Under Pressure

Train under conditions that simulate the stress of the actual event. This will mentally prepare you for the real deal

3. Have a “Go-To” Mantra

For golfers, a simple thought like “Smooth” or “Nice and Easy” just before hitting the ball can do the trick.

4. Whistle While you Work

According to Beilock:

If the tasks are automatic and you have done them a thousand times in the past, a mild distraction such as whistling can help them run off more smoothly under pressure.

5. Put Pen to Paper

Taking a few minutes to write down your worries before a test or presentation will help you stay focused on the topic and reduce forgetfulness due to stress.

Don’t let your brain sabotage your success.