The 5 and 20 minute rules

-The 5 Minute rule. If you're “float working” then set a timer for 5 minutes (having a physical one on your desk is awesome because you don’t need your phone). Let’s say you hop on LinkedIn. Start that timer. If you haven’t done something that you consider genuinely productive by the time it goes off, close the site and move on to another task.

(float working = general idea [i.e. “marketing”] but with no dedicated task)

-The 20 Minute rule. If you are “focused working” then set a time for 20 minutes. It does not matter if you sit and stare at a blank screen for the entire 20 minutes. Your only two options are to work on your dedicated task or to do absolutely nothing else. (make your dedicated task specific for better results. “I will market” vs “I will draft 5 follow up emails to clients abcde.” The goal here is just to start your engine and get you focused.

(focused working = specific and dedicated task you wish to complete)