So the universe heard me babbling about the iPhone, I guess because I managed to ‘aquire’ an iPod Touch (1G – 32GB) over the weekend thanks to Kal. He stumbled some at his supplier and couldn’t resist, I in turn have been focused on the functionality of the iPhone (which the iPod Touch has) and so the universe has provided a way for that to happen. (So I couldn’t resist).

Naturally, I had to Jail Break it ASAP (I’m just that kinda guy), but I didn’t like the Pwnage pinapple boot screen so I made my own (image shown here). I always preferred the retro Apple look. The process of Jail Breaking these is dead simple now, and pretty much an infinite number of monkeys on an infinite number of typewriters will eventually figure it out. even the latest 2.1.1 firmware (for FirstGen only so far) I also managed to get OmniFocus on it, (as well as a bunch of other things that I may or may not use), and I got hooked up with a nice car cradle so I can have my ear snacks in the car. Can you say w00t? I can.

Now I have removed all possible excuses for GTD and it’s time to get down to business, quit dragging my ass, and actually get things done. Procrastinators Unite … Tomorrow

I signed up for 43 Things a few months back, and then I forgot about it… Want to know why I forgot about it? Because I added the 43 Things widget to my iGoogle so that I would see it all the time (releasing my mind from having to think about it). Problem was, it’s lower on the page and not somewhere I actually look, so it wasn’t somewhere that I would see it (although my mind thought it was a good enough place to put it to allow me to forget about it).

So my ranting the past few days has been centered around GTD, and clearly, I haven’t been getting anything done (or at least very little). My biggest problem is that I’m taxing my brain to remember far too much, so I took the time to do a brain dump a few days back, and I actually already feel less stressed about some of the things I need to get done, not because there is a lot of forward movement on any of them yet, but because I know that getting them out of my head was a great step in the right direction.

Today I have to get a few more details for a project wrapped up and I’m utilizing the GTD philosophy to manage the project. I haven’t started using OmniFocus to it’s full potential yet, but in the coming days I hope too, such a great tool (and the iPhone support makes another case for acquiring an iPhone in the near future).

So I nabbed a copy of David Allen’s book, and Audio Set, I swapped out my normal nighttime audio to the Getting Things Done Fast seminar. So far, so good. I also actually fired up my OmniFocus because although I have had it for a while I never actually bothered looking at it too closely. The site has a few short video tutorials that got me moving pretty quick, although I still have this nagging feeling that something is missing from my understanding…

The premise to GTD is pretty simple, Collect your ‘stuff’ (write it down / get it out of your head), Process your stuff into actionable, not actionable, Organize your stuff into projects (anything thats more then a single actionable item), and assign a context to them (where you physically have to be to perform the actionable step). This in itself will reduce the clutter in your brain, all that pointless thinking…

David says that the things your thinking about that cause you distraction are there not because they are unfinished, but because you either don’t know what finished looks like for them, and/or you haven’t determined the next step to move them forward, and/or you have not placed a reminder to do the next action step in a place that your mind believes will help you get it done. So you think about it.

There are some interesting parallels between what David Allen is saying about thoughts and the mind and how Eckhart Tolle expresses the thinking self in ‘The Power of Now’. They are both quite correct in their understanding that NOW is the only time, so I’m having a good time so far listening to David and pounding out lists of things that I need to get done. OmniFocus looks like it was designed specifically for the GTD principals, and meshes perfectly with what David is saying.

I’ll update this line of thinking from time to time, but I highly encourage you to check out GTD. (Thanks Craig for reminding me to look at the resources I have, its been a godsend) … After all, nobody is going to manage my life but me.

Just a few things that relate to the various posts so far this year… No particular order (if your actually following along they will make sense to you).

Word of Goo has OCD Missions!!!!! (Thanks Craig) … Insanely hard missions within the missions for the obsessive people (this may take awhile, but its added a distraction I SO didn’t need).

SmallTalk will be the new language (i think) this year Craig and Steven both say the squeak distro is what I want to look at … because a Language that was written in it’s own Language sounds kinda twisted, and lets be honest, thats how I roll

Check Engine Light came back on, however I think I know why … will have to stop in and see my Mechanic to verify my suspicion.

The LMD project came up yesterday, looks like DivX 7 is using Matroska … who woulda thought? I will have to let my brain cycle through the idea a little more….

Made a list for a VA (Virtual Assistant if you were wondering Lee). Hopefully next month I will have the funds available to look into getting one for a few hours (Recommendations Anyone???) … Initial plan is for the phone project … lets see if this one can grow wings

Oh, You may have thought I wasn’t blogging for a few days .. seems that my Mac Journal doesn’t like something in my current Word Press version and my posts have been sitting as unpublished for days on end …. Rest assured I’m writing… perhaps if you notice a day is missing (they should always come in around 11:11 AM (worth a post on it’s own)) send me a nudge and i’ll kick the side of the pipe to make them fall out (I try to keep a few thoughts in queue so there isn’t really a reason to go without a post).

Rails is becoming a Love Hate relationship, as this post went live I’m in a meeting (assuming that the twiddle I did worked) with a Client about a Rails project.

I think thats enough for now…

It’s funny that people who watch TV (I’m not a fan of the boob tube) are the ones that always complain that they don’t have any time to accomplish their goals, or even make a list of goals, and they are the same people that use the words ‘boring’ or ‘bored’. It’s just my take on it, but hello…. your staring at a piece of furniture for HOURS on end. Do you not see how unproductive this is? no wonder you feel bored.

Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy a good movie. One that makes me think, or laugh (both positive reactions). But to ‘have a show’ that you wants religiously… You have too much time on your hands and not enough productive things to do. I would much rather be interactive then sit in a room and watch the furniture alone (because lest face it, everyone watches TV alone, no matter how many people are in the room).

It’s even funnier because when I was a kid, I was always watching TV. then again, I was always bored too… and I don’t get bored anymore, perhaps it was when I stopped watching TV that I realized only boring people get bored.

Anyway, even though its a short post, it relates to the Red Hot Chili Peppers (Oh I love the peppers) …. Throw away your television!!!

Off to my meeting