The very first thing I consider is:

Get there early: I’m supposed to be at work at 9 am, I get to the office at 8:30 or earlier, this gives me the chance of seting up my stuff, get a coffee (at the kitchen or starbucks), get back to my computer, check mail (personal and work), surf a bit on the web, etc… get settle and ready at 9 oclock, I hate getting late and being welcomed with rush stuff or the typical “they are looking for you already…” I hate that.

Use your software: I never had an organizer or agenda, somehow I felt it was unrealistic and just a pressure generating thing, but about 2 years ago I started using my iCal for work, then I got an iPhone and started using it as well, and it just works for me, as a reminder is good, but, being able of crossing out thing that I got done in the day, gives me the sense of accomplishment that gets me going with the next thing and at the end of the day, you just realize how much stuff you nailed on the day.

Clear you head: Stop for a while during the day, step outside and get a fresh coffee, chat a while with someone on the hallway, get fresh and go back to work… one thing that works for me a lot is get out and get a smoke… not the most healthy thing to do I know, but as an excuse to step out works great and consumes the exact amount of time for you to chill and get fresh.

Get it right, get it organized: Usually for me to get in the mood of getting things done the very first thing to do is to get the thing organized, knowing what you are supposed to get done, how you’ll get there, what you need, and being OK with the team about those next steps is gold, you can’t start something if you don’t know where are you going, I think the best response to any project starts away from the computer, dealing with people and setting the way… once you get that clear, you almost have the job done.

Of course web inspiration, books, magazine, twitter posts, conversation with stimulating co-workers or non-co-workers are useful tools too, but to me the ritual of every day, that little and maybe senseless routine gets me that zone where I need to be to get the job done.

In terms of physical things to do to help me ‘get in the zone’, I find that I HAVE to have a clear space on my desk/around my laptop; otherwise I feel unorganized and less pressurized as everything’s messy and so seems less important! I also find that unless I take a break every hour or so, I really start to lose energy and enthusiasm – even if it’s just popping to the kitchen to get a glass of water, it’s a break away from the screen and a chance to step-back and think about my work. Great discussion topic, interesting to hear how everyone else works!

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I’ve found that this is very counter-productive, and what I’ll do now is — wait for it — clean!

A clean environment and the “getting things done” inertia that I build *while* cleaning, usually pushes me in the right direction. I also have less things to look and and get distracted by when everything is tidy.

Once I feel like I’ve got the flow going, I tune in to my non-vocal (very important) electronic music collection, and the next thing I know it’s 2am and I’ve conquered a good percentage of the project.

Recently, while in Brooklyn, a designer friend of mine mentioned his neck had started bothering him — a problem I had encountered before — and I challenged him to raise his monitor up higher at work, or his chair down if possible while keeping decent posture.
An eye level setup at home has helped tremendously with my throughput and productivity.

Also, temperature! A room too hot can make one lethargic and sleepy, losing the ability to focus on the task at hand… and it’s especially easy to overlook this these days with huge monitors pumping out heat into our faces.

Oh, and turn off your unessential social networking and/or instant messengers :)

Thanks again! And keep up the great posts!

The idea of getting the “clutter” out of the way in Photoshop and Illustrator is a perfect way to stay focused on the task at hand. I personally have trouble with CS4 for this exact reason, when I want the tools around they are hiding. But I will say it is easier to think more clearly with less “clutter” on your screen

… and speaking of cleanliness, it’s about time I cleaned my office. Thanks for the reminder :)

Eric, awesome follow-up, as always. ;)