1. Organize your time to fit your strengths. If you're a morning person, tackle your projects that take critical thinking in the morning, and leave your more routine tasks for later in the day. This will actually create more time in your day, as you will waste less time thinking through issues when you are experiencing fatigue and dullness.
2. Break large tasks into small ones. This will allow you to move through each small chunk more quickly, as you may spend time feeling overwhelmed and somewhat paralyzed with the huge task.
3. Touch paper only once. When sorting mail, for example, use the ACT rule for each piece you pick up: A=Act on it, address whatever needs to be done with it; C=Categorize it, or file it; T=Trash it. Don't put it in a stack that has to be sorted again later.
4. Learn to say no. This is not easy, but keep working at it. There are some things that need never go on your 'to do' list, then you don't have to try and figure out how to get them off.
5. Keep One Planning System. This is critical. Don't use one planner that stays on your desk at work, one on your refrigerator, and one in your purse or pocket. Maybe you have multiple places for recording - i.e. the refrigerator for the kids activities - but make sure everything, both personal and professional, appears on one planning system that is the main one you use. This will save time and frustration from double scheduling or missing something important.

Taking back control of your time, and keeping control, is not easy, but it is very possible. You're the boss of your time - you decide how you spend it.