It seems that every day we have more and more to do — and unfortunately the day is still only 24 hours long. But it’s a fact that most of us are not as productive as we could be — either at work or at home.

Productivity experts say one of the first things to do in order to accomplish more is to become aware of how you are spending your time now. Keep note of what you are doing throughout the day. You are likely to be surprised how much time you are wasting on distractions such as checking email, surfing the Web or chatting to people.

Experts say the biggest thing you can do to improve your productivity is to focus on the task at hand without distraction. When you start a task, don’t stop until you are finished, unless it’s to take a break. (Breaks are important for productivity, as they keep you fresh and alert, so don’t neglect those.) Just don’t get distracted by another task (such as your incoming email or a job that seems more interesting) until you’ve completed the task you set out to do.

That’s easier said than done, of course, as distractions are everywhere. However, they say it gets easier with practice, particularly if you are aware each time you are being distracted.

Another trick is to actually reduce the time you allow yourself to complete tasks. That sounds counterintuitive, until you think of Parkinson’s Law — that a task fills the time allotted to it. When you put yourself under a little bit more pressure to get things done, you are forced to focus more on the task.