Wasting too much time online? The solution is actually easy: disconnect. At various times, and in various situations, I've done all of the below—and sometimes two or more at a time:
Easy peasy!
Here's what doesn't work: grimly struggling to do your work at the same time you're battling constant temptation.
Sisyphus wasn't meant to be a role model!
I'm also not a huge fan of software solutions that temporarily limit Internet access because you can defeat them simply by rebooting. However, if they work for you that's fine!
When I tell students in my productivity classes to disconnect from the Internet, some react with a Homer Simpsonish, “Doh! Why didn't I think of that?” while others give me the hairy eyeball, implying that I'm suggesting something weird, radical, or otherwise unthinkable. That's when I bring out the supporting troops:
Plenty of people disconnect.
The main pragmatic objection I hear to disconnecting is that, “I need to do research while I'm writing.” My answer to that is, “Don't.” Generally speaking, research competes with the writing process, and it is also a primary form of procrastination mimicking productive work.
Ultimately, disconnecting is a gift you give yourself—a gift of time, privacy, freedom, peace, and mental space. It helps you reclaim your creative soul. It's a particular godsend for writers and others who struggle to fit their creativity into an overcrowded schedule, since you can get a lot more done per hour disconnected versus connected.
A pretty big payoff, don't you think, for delaying a few tweets?