My biggest sticking point right now is the lure of distractions, mainly from mindlessly browsing random nonsense online and watching videos and wasting time on twitter and blogs and other distractions. A little bit of that is ok of course, but I slip into some weird automatic mode and it's like a trance where I lose track of time. I still get a lot done, but I always have to put pressure on myself to stay focused, and then I eventually slip, and berate myself, then slip again, it's frustrating. Are there any good, solid, concrete tips you can suggest to keep yourself accountable?

So far I think physically disconnecting the internet while you're working is a good technique. Another one is using "k9" or some other service to block distracting websites - at least until the late evening when your work should be finished and you can dick around a bit.

I think the importance of escaping the siren song of dopaminergic distractions can't be overstated.