Get More Done Every Day | Break Down Your Tasks

Productive people divide their bigger projects into chunks that suit their attention span. For some it's 10 minutes and for others its 20 or 30, or even an hour. Not sure how long you're good for? "Give yourself a to-do, a task that's challenging or one you don't particularly enjoy doing - like your expense report, a memo, paying the monthly bills, or drafting a letter - and see how long you stay focused. Then break all your tasks down, as needed, to match the duration of your concentration."

There's a subtle but powerful benefit that comes with segmenting your projects. "You're effectively saying to yourself, "what can I finish in this block of time?" as opposed to "what can I start?" That just-get-it-done mind-set will help you power through even your most mundane responsibilities.

Quit Multitasking.
How are you supposed to stay focused on just one thing when everyone always seems to need everything "right now"? Ask yourself, is banging out a memo or talking to someone from accounting worth making the task that I'm working on now take even longer than it needs to? Or, remind yourself how good you'll feel when you finish the work in front of you. And whenever you're about to get distracted, say to yourself, "Focus on the joy of completion" (or come up with your own mantra!)