The Nerd Handbook espouses:

‘A nerd needs a project because a nerd builds stuff. All the time. Those lulls in the conversation over dinner? That’s the nerd working on his project in his head.’

And that is completely true. At least for me, and if I’m a nerd, then so be it. So how do I balance this project orientated obsessiveness with a functional GTD system?

If you are similar to me, and become obsessed with projects then GTD can be fairly meaningless because you will sit down for two days and program without fail. GTD helps you to arrange when and how to sit down for those two days however, and to keep track of how much you are actually getting done.

With my OneNote system, I keep a regular journal throughout the day of what I’ve accomplished. This really helps me to plan out what I’m going to do, and to contemplate the ideas in my head before I rush in to do them.

The hardest part about this lifestyle is doing things that aren’t interesting. The challenge really is to make them as exciting as possible with the highest chance of making a new discovery. I’d much rather program an AI and watch emergent behaviour than to simply program an AI to play a game of Checkers.

Using Your Computer

Although every moment spent on your computer will not be productive (eg. watching funny Youtube videos), you can ensure that you maximize your time working by setting specific goals from your GTD next actions that you can, and will accomplish by the time you next stand up.

The worst possible thing to do is set iGoogle (customized google webpage) as your homepage. If you’ve done this, everytime you have to look something up on the internet, you will get distracted – whether its the latest Digg post or another interesting random tidbit. Its a sure fire way to minimize the amount of work you will get done. In order to get around this inconvenience, I use Internet Explorer when ever I’m researching and then Firefox when I’m just mucking around.

Social Website’s also offer an open-loop. You will always feel the need to check them if what your doing isn’t urgent. Please, at least do not bookmark them. By doing this, your ensuring that sometime during your working day, you will visit them and then proceed to look at every photo and video that’s been uploaded.

Never Mistake the Importance of Research

As a ‘nerd’, it is your right to screw around with the various systems in your life. It is this ability that allows us to do great things, to find new and exciting ways of looking at problems. That blog you check every second day – that’s research. If you learn something new from visiting a website, then it has been worthwhile. If I had never subscribed to Ars Technica I would have never learned about Ruby on Rails and consequently Ruby and my AI programming would have gone nowhere. In fact, I’m pretty sure I would never have been inspired to try to go to Med School to study Neurology.

Be What You Want To Be

It has taken me my full life, up until two weeks ago to realize that it doesn’t matter who I am, it only matters who I will be, and if I’m doing the things to become that person. If I’m not then I should look carefully at who I’m becoming, but otherwise: people will hold you back from yourself. Be proud of who you are and who you want to be, and never do anything contradictory. I always felt disappointed in who I was because I was comparing myself with other people, who I thought had better lives than me. That was until I realized that I could be the person I wanted to be.

As an atheist, I would always argue the case with the Christian about god. But it was only recently that I realized I was just as bad as they were, I was arguing to win, no matter what points I pulled out. I believe that the most important thing in life is to be true to yourself, and not in that rhetorical bullshit way either – don’t be hypocritical. Don’t hold other people up to standards you don’t hold yourself up to. If you make a statement, you better be able to back it up.

I Stand Corrected

Its amazing how much you can learn and realize if you only open your mind to the opposite. Don’t argue against someone because your theologically opposed to the ideas they present, argue against someone because you can prove that your right.

By using an effective GTD system I have been able to manage my life to balance my little research projects, while getting the work done that is expected of me done. That is what I suppose a GTD system for a nerd should do – to ensure we accomplish what we have to, so we can be exactly who we should be. By doing this, not only have I been able to maintain personal integrity, it has left me with time to contemplate life, the universe and everything.

Also check out Vampire Weekend, especially their song I Stand Corrected which inspired this thoughtful post.