Concentration

It's maybe a little fashionable to use terms like "information overload" and that all our technology is making us less productive. I'm starting to buy into this theory a little more though. I'm having a lot of trouble keeping myself focused on any one task for an extended period of time. I constantly jump between task A to task B to check email C, making a little progress here and there, but I think I'm hurting myself with all these context switches. I can't seem to stop myself anytime I have to wait for something (even very briefly), my focus switches to something else.

The most problems are at work. Now I'm fairly sure the environment has a lot to do with it. It's an open concept type, with a few cubicle walls here and there. People are constantly interrupting me with questions and random conversations can break out frequently. For the most part I really like these aspects, but it can be very hard to concentrate on a task. Home isn't much better though. I have trouble just concentrating on one task, I almost always have a movie or TV going at the same time, and I can't seem to turn it off.

I also have so many half finished projects and good ideas (or so I'd like to believe) that I never get around to getting anywhere with out. I'm really enjoying my 日本語 classes, but I don't put in the time I should to improve (I'm jealous of mricon's dedication to 中国語).

Do other people feel like this? Does anyone have tips to better allow one to concentrate on a single task at a time, and better follow through on tasks? I mean there are some obvious things I should be doing, but I'm having trouble with those even. Outside the box ideas?