To-do lists are a no-brainer. You can pick the traditional route and use sticky notes, or download one of the many online productivity apps. Writing down your tasks allows you to visualize and prioritize them so that you can get the most important tasks done first.

Try scheduling the various tasks you need to complete before the end of the day. This gives you a definite time frame and can help prevent procrastination.

Triage is a term typically used in a medical context when too many patients need attending. Doctors assign degrees of urgency to each patient so that they can attend to the gravest illnesses first. If doctors didn’t prioritize patients, someone with a severe stroke might be kept waiting while someone else with a common cold received treatment.

We, of course, aren’t talking about hospital settings. We’re recommending you triage your to-do list. List all your tasks, and then categorize them so that the most important tasks are done first. Otherwise, you might spend five hours on a low-priority project, and give yourself not enough time for something more urgent. Triaging helps you stay on top of the essential tasks.

You can also use tools like the Eisenhower Matrix to help you prioritize your tasks effectively.

At work you can do the same, create a filing system that is easy to use, where you can find the information you refer to on a regular basis, at a moment’s notice.

Like multitasking, running between meetings without a break might provide the illusion that you’re ticking a lot off your to-do list quickly, but it’s counterproductive. Studies show that being well rested and taking breaks helps people stay on-task and engaged.

If you work on a computer, use these breaks to also give your eyes a few minutes away from the screen. If you’ve been slumping at your desk for two hours, use this time to stretch or walk around for 15 minutes.

Although this might feel like a waste of time, it’s exactly what your brain needs to rejuvenate and stay alert.

A smart working solution is to group similar tasks together. For instance doing all the calls you need to make in the morning, admin in the afternoon etc. This may mean minimising your distractions as much as possible, such as email. Try only looking at your email three times a day to avoid getting distracted.

A smart working solution is to group similar tasks together. For instance doing all the calls you need to make in the morning, admin in the afternoon etc. This may mean minimising your distractions as much as possible, such as email. Try only looking at your email three times a day to avoid getting distracted.

Studies suggest the best way to make sure you’re efficient is through scheduling blocks of time. Reserve some of these blocks for doing specific tasks without distraction. So, for example, if you schedule a block of time to complete some work, you should put away your phone, close the other many tabs that you have open, and avoid answering emails. This is called deep work.

Another school of thought—the Pomodoro Technique—recommends blocking time in 25-minute chunks, followed by five-minute breaks. This method is good for people who tend to get distracted while working, or who find themselves failing to multimask well. Many writers, designers, coders, and students have success with this technique.

It’s so easy to look at the same email or item several times before acting on it. Work efficiency coach Cyril Peupion advises implementing a ‘decide once rule’, where as soon as you’re informed of the new item you can decide what you will do about it – respond now, take action, or schedule a time in your calendar in which to do it. This way you are only handling things like emails once.

Time management experts will all advise doing your most important tasks first, and it’s great advice, but there are times when answering an email, taking 10 minutes to make a call, or fill out a form, can save you a wealth of distractions and interruptions from colleagues or others wishing feedback. It’s good to do this on those days when you aren’t in the middle of a deadline – when doing so will help you concentrate on your important tasks. Perhaps schedule half an hour to an hour where you can get some of those tasks out of the way.

Are you your most creative in the morning? Most focused in the evening? Tired by the afternoon? If your creative juices flow best in the morning, it’s best to schedule that time for strategic thinking, and if you’re tired in the afternoon it’s a good time to do low-level energy work like respond to emails. Working to your energy will often mean you get more done and feel less stressed and tired in the process.

Studies show that people who try to do more than one thing at a time often take twice the time to do the task and don’t complete it either. Stick to one task at a time, and don’t allow yourself to be distracted if you can help it. If you do remember something you need to do, jot it down on a notepad, and go back to it when you can.

Being focused and motivated in a chaotic environment is challenging. Research suggests that too much clutter tends to hurt productivity, but a little can be OK, especially for creative people. Whether you need a completely clean desk depends on your personality and job.

If you find that clutter distracts you and you need to make a change to get better results, try keeping a tidier workspace. If you’re a creative person and having things on the desk to fidget with helps, then that’s OK—but keep it under control, because too much will have negative effects.