Post-Its
Post-it notes are awesome. They are my #1 tool in keeping focused on things I’m doing instead of worrying about what I should be doing.
If I’m doing something but start thinking about having to do something else, I write it down on a post-it note and continue working on it. Having it written down lets me concentrate on what I’m doing, as I don’t have to try to keep the next ten things I need to do in my head at the same time.
A post-it note is also useful as it can only fit a limited amount of things to do – just like your day. Mark McGuinnes wrote about a similar thing in his blog post If It Won’t Fit On A Post-It, It Won’t Fit In Your Day.
I use one post it TODO-note per day. Having limited space to write down things you need to do that day will force you to think about what you can realistically get done in a day.