I wrote this post mainly thinking about homework and school projects (which make up the bulk of my work!) but tried to make it applicable to any project/task that needs to be done.

1. Reduce your distractions [sometimes]. Yes, it’s been said a million times, but it is an important part. Everything gets done a lot quicker when you don’t have new IMs, email, and social networking posts coming in. When I have a lot of homework or other work to accomplish, I’ll just close out of all that stuff on my computer. For short things, I find that balancing work and play isn’t that hard.
2. Make your environment work for you. This goes hand in hand with reducing distractions. Everyone has his or her personal preferences on how their space is set up. The ideal workspace puts everything you need at your fingertips. Whether messy or neat, the important part is that it works for you.
3. Have a game plan. Know exactly what you need to get done before you even try starting. One way to do this is by using a to-do list, whether on paper or digitally using something like Remember the Milk or Things. I’ve found that simply making a list of what you want to get done goes a long way in getting started.
4. Don’t overstuff your day. I’ve found this especially true with homework. Getting it done as soon as possible (the day it’s assigned ideally) reduces the work every day. This requires some self-discipline: if you put something off, that’s when you have too much work on your plate. Sometimes this isn’t preventable, but it’s best to try to do things right away if there’s time.
5. Block up your time when working on long projects. Working straight through major projects is something I used to do, until I realized the importance of breaks. Even five minutes to get up, stretch, and get a drink of water can be re-energizing and help you keep focused on the task at hand.