If not, then maybe you're working on the wrong thing.
Let's stop treating the effect of poor work habits and deal with the cause: find something better to work on.
[EDIT: I'd stay and reply to your great responses guys, but I'm not here anymore. As compelling as this discussion is, the real-time CRUD/robot interface I'm writing is way cooler.]
We all want to believe that working on projects we love will keep us going nonstop for 18 hour days. Please, avoid the cognitive dissonance if you fail to live up to this unrealistic idealism, and give yourself just a modicum of slack. Don't burnout because of the unrealistic unbalanced life of the stereotypical startup guy you feel like you have to become.
If something's not working, catch yourself, correct, and move on. If it is working and you're working hard and moving forward despite your flawed humanity, then don't worry about it. No need to be overly critical or absolutist about it.
Secondly, not everyone has the ability to get kickstarted each day to 100% productivity. You're very lucky if you do but I don't. I use Focus Booster and it helps but isn't a cure.
Am I the only person who, if not for the need to support my family, might blissfully while away his days playing games, playing with new tech, reading, watching TV or movies, and just generally goofing off? Maybe I'd regret my wasted life one day, but in the here and now there's a lot of fun to be had in the world today.
I love to code, but shipping is a lot harder, and running a whole business based on that code is harder still, of course. But from reading comments like the parent on HN, there are people who would make whole _products_, or build businesses all day long if left to their own devices.
I can't tell if I was just raised differently from other people such that I am predisposed to value, say, instant gratification and to avoid hard work; or if everyone else is just ignoring these parts of their nature and not talking about the fact that getting drunk with your friends is more fun and a lot easier than following through a product idea from concept to completion.
Note that raising kids is a very substantial activity. I've taken the summer off to hang out with my brother and his family. Even a lot of the nominally fun time with kids means I'm helping educate, build character, and encourage good habits. So maybe the energy you would otherwise put into making a product is going into making a family.
people forget this.
Without ambition driving you, it's pretty difficult to motivate yourself past the point where the project you're working on stops being interesting, and just seems like a lot of work. That said, some people do seem to be able to make this initial phase last long enough to crank out impressive projects. Outside of that though, if you're happy with your life right now, you might just be running a little short on the motivation necessary to "build businesses all day long".
It's okay though — I'm sure if you had realized that, you wouldn't have posted it.
Imagine what the Reddit developers had to deal with.
That's why it's called work.
So the problem is not working on the 1%, that part is fun, interesting... is the 99% that some of us need help with.
Oh yeah, and it's a link to the people I love and care about as well...
Incorrect. The more important it is, and the more I love it, the more anxious I become. The more anxious I become, the more distractible I am.
I just wanted something to slow me down each morning and bring the focus back to producing. I also have it block me at about 6pm so I have to reflect on my day before going home and reading articles.
Realization - it seemed like trying to shut your eyes when there are lot of pretty girls in the town. It requires lot of mental training for self-control. Still trying.
Personally, I think you're confusing important with easy. When I find a video game I like, I can play it for hours. But that's because it has been optimized for playability. But when writing or coding, sometimes I get frustrated. What I'm going may be important, but it isn't always easy, and that's when distraction will strike.
If what you're working on is important enough and you love it enough, you can afford a second desktop/laptop/tablet/smartphone that is designated "work only" and so offers fewer distractions than your primary device.