All successful leaders are great planners; they make lists for every major and minor objective.

When a task comes your way

1. Spend some time thinking about how you will accomplish it.
2. Write down every step necessary from start to finish, with a timeline (ev...

One of the best ways to tune everything out is to tune in to music. When everything around you is distracting, put on your headphones--find something that can serve as background music rather than music that holds your full attention. Music can help you concentra...

Distractions can be internal as well as external, so start by looking within. If you're all over the place, ask yourself

• What's really going on?
• What's the source of your flightiness or anxiety?
• What do you need to be working on in your life?

If you're working on a complex task, it takes an average of 90 minutes to accomplish anything worthwhile--and about 30 minutes just to get your mind on the task.

Once you are in the flow, set a concentrated period of time--and when the time runs out, stop. It's easier to st...

Especially when distractions are high, make tasks smaller and break down your large projects into smaller tasks to help you concentrate and give you a sense of accomplishment and progress.

If your office or workspace is dirty, disorganized, or cluttered, invest some time in clearing it out so you can focus.

This is a simple thing, but the rewards are great if you can pull it off:

1. Start your workday an hour before everyone else.
2. Use that hour to organize your day and to get started before there are any distractions.
3. Similarly, skip the long...

One of the keys to doing great work is to know when to take a break. When you start to feel distracted, take a break, and then reassess and refocus yourself. It doesn't just act as a reward--a short break can help your mind become clearer.