Self Control through software
Leo Efstathiou asked me recently whether I'd rather be smarter, or have more willpower. It took only a moment's thought to realize that I'd rather have the self-control any time.
And so it was with a sense of wonder and optimism that I normally reserve for sunrises that I fired up Self Control: a Mac application that completely blacklists parts of the Internet. Like a gaoler with a blackjack, Self Control coshes any attempt to blunder down rabbit holes like Facebook or email for some time period you specify. It's absolutely and delightfully watertight.
The beauty of this is its potential long-term effect. I want to counteract the variable reinforcement schedule that email and blogs provide - with Self Control's help, I'm hoping to ensure zero reward from them for long enough to break the self-perpetuating cycle of reflexive refresh-pressing.