Tips to Finish your Ph.D quickly:

1. Keep your inbox ruthlessly organized.  Sort messages into folders immediately upon receiving them. For example, you could have folders entitled Advisor, Research, Teaching, Meetings, Conferences, Events, and Social. Flag any messages that you do not read and sort immediately.    
2. Know your degree program requirements. Make a list, and check each requirement off as you complete it. Pay attention to which items can only be done at set times or rare intervals. Also, pay attention to changes in degree program requirements.
3. Find an efficient note-taking system that you can sync across all your devices. Evernote is a classic; you can can type notes directly into it and attach various kinds of files. Evernote works equally well for lesson plans (if you teach) and for dissertation research.
4. Keep on top of paperwork. A doctoral program requires you to file an unimaginable quantity of forms. One missed form can delay a graduation requirement, or graduation itself. Make a list of all the forms you'll have to submit
5. Don’t reinvent the wheel. Whenever possible, swap class notes, lesson plans, etc., with colleagues.
6. Ask questions on Quora and be amazed by the thoughtful and well-informed replies you receive overnight.
7. Back up everything in multiple places. Don't be one of those people who loses hours' worth of work to a hard drive crash.   
8.  Find your body’s ideal sleep/caffeine formula.  The goal is to maximize your waking hours by sleeping no more than necessary, but still sleeping enough that your waking hours are productive. Sufficient sleep is necessary for memory formation, so don't go crazy with the all-nighters.
9. Choose a dissertation topic as early in grad school as you can. Don't spend years flitting from topic to topic, afraid to commit. This project does not define your identity as much as you think it does. If you settle on your topic early on, you can make more of your coursework feed into your dissertation project.
10. Keep your inbox ruthlessly organized.  Sort messages into folders immediately upon receiving them. For example, you could have folders entitled Advisor, Research, Teaching, Meetings, Conferences, Events, and Social. Flag any messages that you do not read and sort immediately.    
11. Know your degree program requirements. Make a list, and check each requirement off as you complete it. Pay attention to which items can only be done at set times or rare intervals. Also, pay attention to changes in degree program requirements.
12. Find an efficient note-taking system that you can sync across all your devices. Evernote is a classic; you can can type notes directly into it and attach various kinds of files. Evernote works equally well for lesson plans (if you teach) and for dissertation research.
13. Keep on top of paperwork. A doctoral program requires you to file an unimaginable quantity of forms. One missed form can delay a graduation requirement, or graduation itself. Make a list of all the forms you'll have to submit
14. Don’t reinvent the wheel. Whenever possible, swap class notes, lesson plans, etc., with colleagues.
15. Ask questions on Quora and be amazed by the thoughtful and well-informed replies you receive overnight.
16. Back up everything in multiple places. Don't be one of those people who loses hours' worth of work to a hard drive crash.   
17. Find your body’s ideal sleep/caffeine formula.  The goal is to maximize your waking hours by sleeping no more than necessary, but still sleeping enough that your waking hours are productive. Sufficient sleep is necessary for memory formation, so don't go crazy with the all-nighters.
18. Choose a dissertation topic as early in grad school as you can. Don't spend years flitting from topic to topic, afraid to commit. This project does not define your identity as much as you think it does. If you settle on your topic early on, you can make more of your coursework feed into your dissertation project.