Do you ever find yourself struggling to find enough hours in the day? If so, you’re not alone. Many of us rush from one end of the week to the other, desperately trying to accomplish everything on our to-do lists, yet failing to get everything done. We flop exhausted into bed each night before getting up to start the cycle all over again.

But it doesn’t have to be like that. Here’s seven tips from extremely successful people that could help you achieve more each day.

1. Get to work early– if you’re a morning lark, then this will be easier than if you’re a night owl. But getting to work before everyone else means you’ll have time to focus on tasks before the onslaught of people, phone calls, emails and meetings start to disrupt you.
2. Take mini breaks– lunch isn’t for losers. Taking a few short breaks throughout the day will refresh your mind and body. If you’re able, take a ten minute walk around the block to detach from work and return more invigorated. This is especially helpful in the morning to help keep you fresh for the day.
3. Do the worst tasks first– it’s tempting to leave the worst, most difficult or most stressful tasks until later. But in the afternoon we generally hit a post-lunch slump and our minds become fried. Setting out to accomplish tougher tasks in the morning before lunch will give you a sense of accomplishment to get you through the afternoon. Working on less demanding tasks without a difficult one looming over you is also very cathartic.
4. Set realistic goals– setting goals or writing a to-do list is great, but only if each goal is achievable. It’s better to break things down into manageable chunks, even though that means adding more items to your list. For example, don’t list “Write report” as one item. Instead, list each section or chapter and tick off each one as they’re done. There’s nothing more satisfying and energising than a long list, ticked off.
5. Focus on one task– multitasking might feel like a time saviour, but each task is more likely to take longer if you’re doing it at the same time as something else. Decide on one task, and stick to it! Plan your day so that your morning is full of the most demanding tasks.
6. Use a notebook– Richard Branson is quoted as saying that he wouldn’t have been able to build the Virgin brand if he didn’t use a notebook. Write everything down, you never know when thoughts, observations or messages might be useful.
7. Turn off the email notifications– the most successful people don’t get distracted by their inbox pinging all day long. They have a set time each morning to reply to emails and that’s it.