I’m the guy who works directly with the client to keep the project on track. I’m the guy who assembles and manages the right team for the project. I’m the guy responsible for answering the question “is it done yet?”

Therefore, I’m the guy who needs to schedule my work day to be the most productive it can possibly be.

Unless you work on an assembly line in a manufacturing plant, most people have jobs where things won’t come grinding to a halt if they don’t get their work done on a tightly scheduled timeline. Sure, we all have deadlines for projects, but if you turn in your report at 10am or 3pm, usually that doesn’t make a big difference.

So, how do we stay motivated to get our projects done? The good news is that you have control over that. Within your work day, there are tasks that require your full attention (giving a presentation, crunching budget numbers) and there are tasks that can be done without your brain being 100% engaged (returning some emails, cleaning off your desk).

The trick is to pay attention to your work style. How long can you sit and concentrate on a task without your mind starting to wander. That is your capacity. Understand that and schedule your time accordingly. Once you’ve concentrated for 30 minutes (for example) don’t force anything further until you’ve recharged. Return a phone call, go talk to your colleague about that meeting you’ve been meaning to schedule.

Then, when you’re back in the zone, switch back to the task that requires your full concentration. That way, you’re far more likely to accomplish what really needs to be done. Get more done by not working as hard.

Sound crazy? Not at all. Writer Bassam Tazzri explains how he makes his schedule work so he can get his projects done without that guilty feeling of “shouldn’t I have worked harder today?”