Whether you’re starting your own business, working at an established company, or just trying to get things done around the house, there’s a good chance there’s one thing intent on keeping you from getting things done: the Internet. It’s especially difficult if your work requires you to be at the computer, hovering over your temptation. They key to getting things done is to not stop fighting. Here are some tips for keeping yourself on track.

* Schedule breaks. While distracting yourself all the time is obviously bad, you can’t concentrate all the time. Taking scheduled breaks will let your mind reset and leave you refreshed to be more productive during your working time.

The key is getting back to work once the break is done. Set specific time limits on your breaks and be strict about keeping yourself to them. Try to limit your break time activities to ones you know you can stop doing once your time is up. If you’re addicted to a computer game, that’s probably not the best thing to do during your down time.

* Get a buddy to back you up. If you have trouble with self-discipline, why not borrow someone else’s. If you’ve set time limits on how long you can take a break, have them check on you to make sure you’re gotten back to work. They can also check up on you at unscheduled times so you never know when they might be coming.

It’s important too make sure your buddy is someone dependable and that you value their opinions and advice. Otherwise their help might not be as helpful as you’d like.

* Is there a particular website that causes you problems? You can go into your Internet permissions and block this website so you cannot get to it. Sometimes, going through the extra step of unblocking the website to use it is enough extra effort for you to regain willpower and keep yourself from giving in. If not, get someone else to block the website and not give you the password. Be sure to set up an agreement for using the website before setting up the password. For example, you can only use the website after a specific project is done or goal is met.

* Work offline. Even online and computer-based businesses have work that can be done offline. If you find you keep switching to distracting websites, leave the computer and work on something else for a while. If you need to get work done on your computer, do it at times when you are more able to concentrate and not stray around online.

If you need to do work on the computer, but don’t need the Internet, try unplugging your connection. If you have a laptop, you can go somewhere without Internet so you wont be tempted to reconnect.

While the Internet can be a big distraction, with a little effort you can turn it back into being just a great work tool.