This tip from my husband made the difference for me. (And I regret it when I think I can get away without doing it… which is fairly often.)
Prep everything before starting the cooking steps. The ingredients should be measured/chopped/etc before starting to cook ANY of them. The ingredients added in the same step can share a bowl, but otherwise try to get it looking like a cooking show. You can put water on to boil, put pan on *low* heat, and pre-heat the oven while you prep.
Not only does it mean you’re cooking everything the right amount of time and actually measuring correctly, but it also lets you clean up the prep mess before making the cooking mess, which your future self will appreciate after the meal.
