How translations, reference letters, and my own drafting schedule collided (and how I'd sequence differently)

In hindsight I started my translation orders too late relative to my reference-letter requests, and the two ended up competing for my attention in the same tight window before filing, which was avoidable. What happened: I requested reference letters early, which was the right call (external dependency, unpredictable response time). But I didn't send documents for translation until I was doing a final push to finalize exhibits, which meant translation turnaround was happening at the exact same time I was chasing down the last reference letters and trying to do a final consistency review — three time-sensitive external-ish processes stacked on top of each other in the final month. What I'd do differently: treat translation the same way as reference letters — an early-stage task with an external turnaround time, not a late-stage administrative step. Anything that needs translation should go out for translation as soon as the source document is finalized, regardless of how far along the rest of the petition is.