I've spent the past several months in various stages of FunEmployment.  Any given week will be a mixture of consulting, learning more programming, and exploring SF.  It's been terrific so far but every week is a battle to stay highly productive.

Daily stand-ups are one way I've been able to maintain focus and momentum.  The concept of a stand-up is very popular amongst bay area startups.  A team will typically meet every morning and each member will discuss what they accomplished yesterday, what they aim to accomplish today, and what "blockers" exist that may limit their productivity.

For the past few months, my friend Chris Maury has been similarly FunEmployed and we've adapted the stand-up technique.  We'll go through the method described above twice daily: when we start working in the morning and after lunch.  It has been incredibly effective.

The technique has worked well for two main reasons.  First, it forces us to articulate specific, actionable goals/tasks; these keep us focused throughout the day.  Second, it introduces an an element of peer-pressure; we tend to hold ourselves to a higher standard when we know the other will be observing our progress.

We've only been using the technique for a few weeks but I highly recommend it.  Let me know if you have another method you recommend or if you'd like to join us.