When it comes to wasting time in front of a computer, I’m a triple black belt. Over the last six years of working for myself, I’ve wasted not just hours or even days in front of a computer, but months.

Focus has always been a challenge for me, but I’ve always felt there should be a better way. I’ve tried accountability groups, productivity apps and all sorts of other gimmicks for getting more done. But on their own, nothing seemed to work.

Recently, I spent some time reviewing and considering what’s important to me in life. I’m a lifestyle entrepreneur. The whole goal of my businesses is to give me more time to do the things I want to do — yet I often find that all I’m doing is spending more time at my computer in a desperate attempt at being productive.

It was this recent reevaluation that led me to try an experiment to increase my productivity. So I made the goal to really improve my morning routine and be up and working by 6:30 a.m. and stop at noon every day, giving me five and a half hours to get work done before calling it quits. The results have surprised even me. For the first time in my life, I feel like I’m actually able to get things done without struggling through. What’s the secret?

Prepare a Clear To-Do List the Night Before

If I have to think about what I need to get done when I sit down to work, nothing will. Each night before I go to bed, I have my top three to five most important tasks for the day in mind.

These should be business-building activities. Email doesn’t count unless I’m particularly far behind. One of my biggest weaknesses is always doing the easy activities that allow me to maintain my business, but not grow it. By plotting out my to-do items the day before, I’m able to get a clear sense of what will really grow the business the following day.

Wake Up Early

How much I get done in a day is often directly correlated with when I get up. If I’m up before 7 a.m. it’s usually a good day. Later than 9 a.m.? I’m in trouble. Not everyone is a morning person. But figuring out when you’re most productive will set yourself up for a much greater chance at success.

Turn on Focus at Will

I’ve recently stumbled upon an app called Focus@Will, which has been unbelievable for my productivity. It’s a tool that plays scientifically composed instrumental music to get you in the zone for 100 minutes at a time. I shoot for three, 100-minute sessions with 30 minutes worth of breaks each day. I’ve introduced a number of friends and bloggers to it, and I almost always get a thank-you message. It works that well.

Do the Hardest Thing First

I always try and do the hardest or most valuable (to the business) items first. When you tackle the hardest thing first, even if that’s the only thing you get done, you’ve made progress.

Plus, I know that my energy is going to start to wane by midday so it’ll be much more difficult to do anything I don’t want to do later. I’m always tempted to answer emails. But unless they are urgent, I’ve learned they can wait.

Focus Only on Business-Building Activities

If you’re like me, you probably have a million projects sitting around on the back burner, but only a handful of them are actually really vital to growing your business and moving it forward. When I started waking up early with a plan, it actually helped me get more accomplished. I mapped out what I needed to do and spent a couple hours each morning making sure I was pushing myself closer to that goal.

You’ll never complete big projects if you don’t have a framework for doing so. It’s easy to do nothing but write blog posts and answer emails. But is that really growing your business? Not generally.

Schedule Something After 12:30 p.m.

So here’s where things get interesting. For a couple weeks, I used this framework and gave myself permission to stop working at noon. For the first week, this was nearly impossible. But as I started scheduling things early in the afternoon, the need to be more productive in the morning became greater. During the summer, I booked tee times at 1 p.m. In other months, I headed out for beer festivals or set up coffee or lunch dates with people I wanted to connect with.

Schedule Another 90-Minute Work Session Later (If Necessary)

As much as I’d like to completely quit work at noon every day and golf, I realize this isn’t always feasible. So sometimes I’ll book an additional 90-minute session for a couple of days a week in the afternoon or the evening. I use this time mostly for emails, preparing for the next day, scheduling interviews or for anything else that isn’t primarily devoted to business growth.

The more I challenge the 9-to-5 work day, the more I embrace the fact that I can work however I want – and the more I find myself enjoying work.