This eliminates 90% of distraction: vim /etc/hosts 127.0.0.1 reddit.com 127.0.0.1 facebook.com 127.0.0.1 news.ycombinator.com 127.0.0.1 digg.com

This eliminates 90% of distraction: vim /etc/hosts 127.0.0.1 reddit.com 127.0.0.1 facebook.com 127.0.0.1 news.ycombinator.com 127.0.0.1 digg.com 127.0.0.1 reader.google.com 127.0.0.1 stumbleupon.com Add whatever sites you visit that are massive firehoses of information. Sites that just serve bite-size chunks are safe to leave off - you most likely don't visit them much anyway, and even if you do visit, you'll quickly leave because they don't offer that constant stream of content that submerges you and drags you off into the net with that overwhelming "just one more click" reward system. On the mental side, I find that it's easiest to stay focused by harnessing the same mental pleasure/reward cycle but hooking it to concrete tasks that are a part of what I'm working on. Breaking down your todo's into very concrete steps so that you never have an opportunity to get distracted by wondering what you should be working on next helps you keep the flow going, and also helps you by providing that miniature rush of reward every time you complete a task. Avoid having large ill-defined projects because they quickly grow mentally draining and feel like an endless slog that you want to escape because there is never a concrete feeling of accomplishment.