The key here is to just get started. You'll be surprised how much you can get done if you follow this rule every single day. The Parkinson Law states that work will expand to fill the time allocated for its completion.
For example, if your essay is due in six months' time, you probably won't get started until month five. So instead, set yourself shorter deadlines with the intention of continually improving until the final deadline. Don't worry about being perfect. Instead, the focus should be on progressing in the right direction.
The idea here is to batch similar tasks together.
For example, block out 30 minutes in your day to just catch up on emails. This will maximize your efficiency and reduce mental fatigue which comes from switching between different tasks.
The Pomodoro technique is where you work for 25 minutes, and then take a 5 minute break.
You then repeat this cycle as many times as possible. This will keep you focused and energized, and you will get far more done in a few focused sessions compared to someone who is distracted during their entire 9-5 shift.
The Eisenhower Matrix is a framework to prioritize your urgent and important tasks. If the task isn't urgent or important, then remove it from your to-do list.
If however, the task is urgent but not that important, then outsource or delegate where
possible. Ideally, you should try and prevent tasks from becoming too urgent, and the goal should be to stay within this section. Of all, remember that 80% of your results will come from 20% of your actions, so reduce your to-do list and only focus on high-leveraged tasks.