Jiu Jitsu Toolbox

A common metaphor for skill acquisition in jiu jitsu (and probably just about everything else that has a long learning trajectory, really) is that you are a toolbox. When you begin your BJJ journey, you start out with a few tools in the toolbox: your body, your hands, your feet, your brain, your teammates and your instructor are all tools should should have at your disposal. As you learn new techniques, they are added to your toolbox.
The more techniques you know, the more tools you have, however, once you acquire a few basic tools, the objective might switch from gathering more tools to sharpening the ones you have. Repping out that classic armbar or collar choke time and time again is going to sharpen that technique. Improving your physical condition, gaining strength, endurance, grip strength, etc. are also ways to sharpen your existing tools. Additionally, every time you get really proficient or learn a new setup or shortcut to improve that armbar, you slowly upgrade from a hammer to a nail gun to (hopefully) a pneumatic construction-grade power nailer.  
At camp, I noticed a common complaint amongst some of the less-experienced ladies was that during rolling, they frequently found themselves without the tool they needed and consequentially, they kind of shut down, giving their partners the upper hand in the round.
So what do you do when you don't have the necessary tool or your version isn't good enough? In the long-term, one would do well to sharpen the tools or add some to the toolbox. But in the moment, when time is not on your side, what do you do? I'm not an expert even a little bit, but I'm going with do something...just about anything.
Lacking a hammer, I once hung a picture using a hairbrush. It didn't do as efficient a job, but the nail went in, the picture went up and it stayed up. I feel like this analogy holds up pretty well when thinking about rolling. Sometimes the technique or transition you feel most able to execute isn't the most efficient, but it's almost always better than doing nothing. And if, somehow, trying out an incorrect tool does land you in a worse spot, at least you know you need to go looking for new tool for your kit.