If you say it’ll take ten minutes and it always takes an hour, you’re not optimistic. You’re inaccurate.

Optimism sounds like a pleasant trait, and in estimates it is simply a measurement error. You plan for the version with no interruptions, no setup, no hunting for the thing you need, and then the same gap appears every time, which makes it a fault rather than a mood. Your past is a better guide than your intentions.

Start writing down how long things actually take for a week. Then use the real number when you promise, even when it sounds embarrassing. Multiplying your first guess by three is crude and will make you unusually reliable.