Ask HN: What do you do to counteract procrastination?

I have recently started counting down in my head when I need to do something important. When I reach 0, I make myself go and do that thing. While it may sound like a gimmick, it does seem to work well for me. Simply starting to count down is easy to do, and can be done simultaneously with almost anything (except writing perhaps). Counting also gives you time and preparation in order to stop what you're doing (a.k.a. procrastinating). When you reach 0, you have this sense of obligation to stop procrastinating and do the work. The longer you count down for, the more obligated you'll be to do the work.