ideal goal

This is a problem in Buddhism. All misery begins in desire is akin to their prime directive. Which leads directly to a paradox isomorphic to the Cretan Paradox. To desire to rid oneself of desire is specifically a desire. Metabolizing this contradiction somehow is essential to practicing Buddhism, and incidentally, is totally irrational.

To be less abstract and address your problem directly, what you must intend on is emptying your mind. Quench the monkey mind and you will quench your most troubling desires. The reason the breath is so useful in this regard is it your main bodily function which is subconsciously controlled that you can exercise some conscious control over. (There are strict limits; you cannot consciously stop breathing and maintain consciousness--you will pass out and begin breathing.) If you have problems concentrating on nothing but your breathing, I have devised a cheat which I am sure at least one of my meditation teachers would whack me on the top of my trapezius with a stick if he was standing behind me reading this while I type: count the breaths. Concentrating on breathing + counting may be a sufficient density of objects to completely occupy you; it works great for me when concentrating solely on breathing will not. This also bypasses the need for a timer. Count a hundred breaths. There's your beginner's meditation time interval.

Jack Kornfeld has a useful analogy. He likens it to house training a puppy with newspapers on the floor. When the puppy strays off the newspapers, you gently bring the puppy back onto the newspapers. This is how to treat your own conscious thoughts when they wander from your breath. Gently bring your consciousness back to your breath like it is a stupid innocent puppy.