Here's how to be productive:

• Prioritize: Use "fixed schedule productivity." You won't get everything done. You will get the right things done.
• Context: Distractions make you stupid. Find a place to hide or work from home in the morning.
• Habits: Use the "20 second rule" to make bad habits hard to engage in. Follow a plan.
• Stakes: For dull tasks, reward yourself. For complex tasks, ask why they are important to find purpose.
• Mood: Manage your mood, especially in the morning. Oh, and puppies, puppies, puppies.

So what's a great tool for working all of this into your schedule? (No, you don't need to work at a pet store.)

Establish a good morning ritual.

A solid morning ritual gives you the time to prioritize before you hit the office and the insanity starts. You can plan when you want to leave and work backward to do your "fixed schedule productivity."

As for context, you can do some work from home before the interruptions start — or at least reserve that conference room.

Take the time to think about those bad habits and apply the "20 second rule" before you hit the office. (Occasionally, I like to remove my email account from my phone. I can always set it up again, but that's a real pain… which is good.)

A moment in the morning to think about what's important is critical. And it clarifies the stakes of everything you need to do — and what you don't.

And most importantly, since your mood in the morning affects your productivity all day, then it's critical to make sure you start the day right. Don't check email immediately and stress yourself out with all the new "emergencies" coming in.

Instead start with this: