The Pomodoro Technique. 25 minutes of undivided focus.

Set a timer for 25 minutes. Work on one thing. When the timer rings, take a 5-minute break. Repeat. The timer does the work of willpower. It gives you a fixed end point, which makes starting easier. The technique works because it turns "focus all day" into "focus until the timer rings."

• After four cycles (about two hours), take a longer break of 15 to 30 minutes.
• The technique was created by Francesco Cirillo in the 1980s. He named it after a tomato-shaped kitchen timer.