Excerpt:

Heuristics have many practical applications,
and one of my favorite areas of application is personal productivity.  Productivity
heuristics are behavioral rules (some general, some situation-specific) that can
help us get things done more efficiently.  Here are some of my favorites:

1. Nuke it!  The most efficient way to get through a task is to
   delete it.  If it doesn’t need to be done, get it off your to do list.

2. Daily goals.  Without a clear focus, it’s too easy to succumb
   to distractions.  Set targets for each day in advance.  Decide what you’ll
   do; then do it.

3. Worst first.  To defeat procrastination learn to tackle your
   most unpleasant task first thing in the morning instead of delaying it until later
   in the day.  This small victory will set the tone for a very productive day.

4. Peak times.  Identify your peak cycles of productivity, and
   schedule your most important tasks for those times.  Work on minor tasks during
   your non-peak times.

5. No-comm zones.  Allocate uninterruptible blocks of time for
   solo work where you must concentrate.  Schedule light, interruptible tasks
   for your open-comm periods and more challenging projects for your no-comm periods.