It's so easy to be distracted. Follow our tips to get focused. Tom Whitney helps you get the most out of your working day.

1. Make a list. Productive people know what they want to achieve. Write down your objectives at the start of each day, prioritise them and allocate time accordingly. Try varying your work to prevent boredom setting in and to keep you motivated.

2. Keep a diary. Use your paper diary, computer software calendar or personal digital assistant (PDA) for day-to-day organisation, forward planning and as an aide-memoire. A joint diary, which can be viewed by colleagues, will help team planning and co-ordination.

3. Log your time. Keep a time log for a day or week, recording how long it takes you to accomplish different tasks. This will help you see where you are spending too much time, or too little.

4. Get on with the hard stuff. Try to avoid always starting your day with easy tasks just so you can tick something off your list. It’s human nature to avoid difficult jobs, but they have to be done and morning is usually the time when people’s mental performance is at its peak. Break bigger tasks into smaller chunks and build them into your routine.

5. Set realistic timescales. Don’t make the common mistake of over-estimating what you can achieve in a day – give yourself contingency time to complete jobs. On the other hand, don’t allow work to take longer than it should: if five minutes is all a job is worth, make sure it’s done in five minutes.

6. Co-ordinate your tasks. Try to ensure that jobs and meetings taking place in similar locations are scheduled for the same day to avoid lost travelling time. Agree finishing times in advance wherever possible to help you build a schedule and think about things you can do on the way to and from appointments – particularly if you’re on public transport.

7. Avoid distractions. Don’t be distracted from the task in hand by immediately dealing with requests, problems or queries that come in via voicemail, text message or email. Screen calls and set aside times through the day to check your phone and emails.

8. Tidy up. Sort out your work space, so you don’t waste time looking for things, such as tools, customer records or paperwork.

9. Schedule your availability. Let colleagues know the times during the day when you will be available and encourage contacts and customers to pre-arrange visits where possible, rather than just dropping by.

10. Take regular breaks. As every athlete knows, rest is as important as training; you will perform better if you take regular short breaks through the day. Try not to work long hours habitually – it will cause fatigue and, eventually, stress, both of which will affect your concentration, performance, productivity and the overall quality of your work.

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