This rule is really simple. Don't panic no matter what the situation. Most people make really awful decisions when they're panicking, then use that as an excuse for why they did what they did. Or worse, one bad decision leads to another and so on. Think of the movie "A Simple Plan" with Billy Bob Thorton and Bill Paxton1.
You might be surprised how little time it actually takes to come up with a better solution if you're predetermined to not panic in the first place.
1) If you haven't seen this movie, you really should. It's a great example of what I'm talking about here.
