What helps you keep focus?

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I'm working on some projects and I really care about these projects but every time I work on it, I always get caught up in my day dreaming leaving almost no work done.
Is this a autism thing? If so, how do you keep focus on things?

Sorry, I have no idea if that's Autism related.

I usually have the opposite problem with projects I care about...I can't pull myself away. But on projects that aren't as important to me or not as much fun (or overwhelming), then I do tend to daydream or get distracted (usually getting lost online).

When I have a lot to do at my job, sometimes it helps me to make lists.

On a personal project that I'm working on that needed a lot of steps, I thought about everything I wanted to do with it and wrote out the steps so I wouldn't forget anything. This also gave me an order of things to do.

It also gives me a sense of accomplishment to cross each thing off as I get it completed.

I don't know if this is a helpful suggestion.

Repetitive, loud music works for me. Lack of focus happens to everyone, we all get bored

Your problem is called "executive dysfunction", and can be greatly helped by Desipramine + Concerta/Dexedrine/Adderall.

Concerta/Dexedrine/Adderall alone will just make your daydreaming more interesting. The desipramine will help with your executive dysfunction, and make it easier to work on what you really NEED to be working on. If you care, Temple Grandin is one of the better-known successful autistic individuals who takes Desipramine.

You might get better results with Imipramine or Clomipramine, depending on your particular brain chemistry and whether or not you also have anxiety or OCD issues.

Desipramine, Imipramine, and Clomipramine are Tricyclic Antidepressants, but don't write them off just because newer antidepressants (SSRIs, SNRIs, etc) don't work well for this purpose. TCAs are probably the most under-appreciated drugs out there for autism-related issues. They do things that newer antidepressants don't do... some things that are a little worse, but lots of things that are much better and effective.

By themselves, Imipramine and Clomipramine might be sedating, but if you combine them with Concerta/Dexedrine/Adderall, the result is pretty close to perfection. The TCA takes the "edge" off the stim med, and the stim med neutralizes the sedation. You end up with less anxiety, wide awake & alert, but able to focus on what you need to be focusing on.

The one side effect you're likely to care about is tachycardia, and THAT can be mitigated with atenolol (a beta-blocker that's very cardioselective).

The moral is that there's no single magic bullet, but there are some golden multi-drug combos out there that can work miracles for you if you let them.

I work in two-hour blocks. I close down my internet browser and don't let myself open it until the two hours are over. (I work on the computer.) When my mind starts to drift, I start talking to myself and reminding myself that I have to keep working. At the end of the day, I write how many hours I did on the calendar. If it is a lot, then I congratulate myself. This leads me to link working with feeling good.

Profuse amounts of caffeine works for me

But seriously if I'm ever working on something that may take a while I will break it down into more manageable chunks because if I look at the whole picture and realise how large it is it sometimes puts me off, but if I break it down into smaller components it's MUCH easier for me to concentrate and I get less stressed.

For example I got the urge to design a level for Skyrim using the new creation kit (it's a PC game thing btw ). I am a beginner using this kit so I watched all the tutorials and dove right in. Now normally I will start something thinking it's a great idea and then abandon it shortly after because it's quite an undertaking, but this time was a bit different. Each part of the tutorial went over a specific area of level development (there are 10 parts in all), so that's how I decided to break up the project. I will design my level in 10 stages (to be done over several weeks), each stage focusing on a different aspect of the level design (basics, design, clutter, lighting...), this way I'm not trying to rush it and get it all done in one day I can take my time. Once I realised that this project didn't need to be rushed and that I could break it down into it's smaller pieces, the whole thing became much more enjoyable and achievable. Try applying this method to your own projects and it may allow you to keep your focus whilst maintaining the enjoyment level.