The statements "There is nothing we can do" and "They won't allow that" are examples of self-defeating talk.
This type of self-talk undermines confidence and suggests a lack of control or ability to influence outcomes. It is characterized by a negative outlook and can be detrimental to a project manager's effectiveness in leading teams and managing projects. References: (Professional in Project Management (PPM) Certification Overview, GAQM1)

In project management, the formula for estimating time often involves three estimates: the most optimistic time (To), the most likely time ™, and the most pessimistic time (Tp). The formula used to calculate the expected time (Te) is based on the Program Evaluation Review Technique (PERT), which is given as ( Te =
\frac{(To + 4Tm + Tp)}{6} ). Here, 'To' represents the optimistic time estimate, which is the shortest time in which the task could be completed assuming everything proceeds better than is normally expected.
References: The information is verified using the time estimation formula commonly used in project management, which includes the optimistic time (To) as a component of the calculation1.