Feel like you're swimming upstream against an endless flow of e-mail, chatty co-workers, clients dropping in unexpectedly and phones that never stop ringing? If so, you are not alone.

The real question is — how do you stay focused amid the chaos and keep your head above water?

According to a CPA Trendlines study by the Bay Street Group, one in three CPAs (34%) report "often" feeling distracted, while another one-third (34%) are "sometimes" distracted. This is followed by less than a quarter (22%) who are "frequently" distracted.

CPAs rely on a few key habits for maximizing productivity and minimizing distraction, including the following:

1. Strictly scheduling e-mail and Internet activity
2. Preparing daily to-do lists
3. Shifting work hours to early mornings or evenings to minimize interruptions
4. Setting aside discrete blocks of time for phone calls and meetings

Of course, that's easier said than done.

"Focused? It's very difficult. The best for me is make a list and stick to it, which I'm not doing right now," says Jim Kinsler of Cincinnati.

Whether it's making a to-do list, shutting the office door or turning off the telephone, CPAs have different methods for staying focused. Some methods appear to work better than others and it is far from a one-size-fits-all approach.

Ken Lehto of San Francisco, for instance, gets his best work done from noon until 9 p.m. That guarantees him a large block of uninterrupted time from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. Routine work is no problem at any time for Ken. The big challenge is staying off the Internet until a project is completed.

Deborah Lavinsky of Phoenix calls herself "The Queen of Multitasking." "Generally," she says, "I pick two to three projects a day and work back and forth. I don't consider myself unfocused working this way. I am able to feel refreshed and energized this way. If I have an extremely time-sensitive project, then I do it exclusively. The reality in my line of business is that there are lots of things to juggle and these days it is mostly done by e-mail. I worked with a coach last year to refine my e-mail time management, but it is not practical to just check it just twice a day."

Also battling the distraction of e-mail, Brenda Zamzow of Los Angeles decided to move her inbox off of her desktop. "A few weeks ago, I moved my inbox off my desk, so now I'm not tempted to check it frequently. It works. Also, when I close my laptop on my desk, I am able to focus much better; however, I rarely have the courage to do this."

Other people, like Deborah Bieber of Chicago, opt to work nights when the office is quiet or even on the weekends. "I close my door. But then there's the e-mail and phone. I work late when everyone's gone or come in on weekends."

Aside from tuning out external distractions like the phone and e-mail, many people find success in making a to-do list and goal setting.

Michael Chaffee of Troy, Mich., goes as far as maintaining hourly to-do lists.

Harry C. Ballman, MBA, CPA, of Annapolis, Md. advises, "Setting a to-do plan of action each day with time between tasks to take on the 'add-ons' that occur during the day." Of course, getting to the office by 6:30 a.m. also helps, he says.

WHAT'S YOUR TIME-MANAGEMENT SECRET? Send in your best tips and we'll share the best in an upcoming article.

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Copyright © 2008 CPA Trendlines/BSG LLC. All Rights Reserved. Used by Permission. First published by the AICPA.