Sometimes it's not just the amount of work on our to-do list that can feel daunting, but the sheer number of items. I think there is just something about the human brain that sees a lot of short tasks and feels like it's a lot of work, even if in reality only 10% of the items on the list will actually involve a lot of effort. Also, from a completely practical standpoint, the more items you have on your list, the longer it takes to review, prioritize and maintain. Therefore, it's best to periodically spend some time making your list smaller if it starts to swell.

There are four main ways to keep your list manageable in size. The first one, of course, is to be careful of how much you take on in the first place. The second way is to periodically purge your to-do list of projects that, when you're being honest with yourself, don't truly need to get done. The third way is to be so disciplined and diligent that you are moving through your list steadily and thus prevent it from creeping up on you-- but even those of us who pull this off most of the time will still inevitably go through the occasional crunch period when our overall workload increases for a time. Then, as we begin to emerge, we may find that our list has somehow gotten unwieldy.

This brings me to the fourth approach, and the focus of this article, which is to periodically trim your list way down just by doing lots of stuff. Normally I would not encourage you to focus on quantity like this when you work. Instead, I might encourage you to focus on priorities when you choose what to work on, focusing the bulk of your effort on the projects that will have the most impact long-term. Often people will first do what is most urgent, focusing on completing first those things with the most imminent deadlines. Sometimes, I'll encourage people to "chunk" like tasks together and work on them one after another on that basis, because it can be easier to do similar tasks without having to mentally change gears when they jump around.

Today, though, I'm going to talk about doing something a bit different as an occasional change of pace: setting aside a block of time to knock out as many fast and easy tasks as possible to keep your lists to a manageable size and help you focus the rest of the time on what's truly important to get done.

1. Decide which tasks you'll do during your sprint.

If you have a full and up-to-date to do list, print it out or photocopy it, and highlight only those tasks which you can easily do in less than 5-10 minutes. Or, you can handwrite a list of just those items. It does work best to predetermine which items fit your fast/easy criteria ahead of time rather than deciding as you go. If you have to stop and decide what to do next, the pausing and decision-making will break the flow of your concentration. It might also stress you out about all the stuff you haven't gotten to yet.

2. Gather up anything you need.

Get the beverage of your choice and have it at your desk. Turn on some music if you like. Get the basic supplies you usually need to do the kinds of things on your list-- for instance, boot up your computer, find your cell phone if you'll be making phone calls, get out a notebook or a calculator, and so on.

3. Decide how long you'll work.

I recommend actually setting a timer and playfully racing against the clock as you go. Set aside 30 minutes to 2 hours for this exercise. Often, the end of a day and/or week will work best. This timing will give you the advantage of feeling like you have a fresh and clean start the next morning or workday and are ready to focus on higher-level or more creative tasks.

4. Set your timer if you're using one and go!

Work through the list in the order it's written, completing and checking off each item as you go. Don't skip around on your list based on what sounds like most fun - the objective is really to just get through as many things as you can, and it works best if you go through your list in order without spending anytime thinking about which tasks you like or which ones are most important - just try to sprint through. Be playful about it and try to be efficient, but don't actually rush - you're trying to be quick, but not careless or frantic. If you run into a snag and realize the task will take longer than 5-10 minutes, set it aside for now and move to the next item on your list. You'll come back to that item later, during your normal work time.

5.Update your master list.

When your allotted time is up, go back to your main to-do list and cross off whatever you have completed. Leave any items that you had to skip because they took too long, or didn't get to because you didn't make it through the whole lot.

6. Savor your success!

Pat yourself on the back for a job well done! Hopefully your to-do list looks smaller and more manageable now, and you've gotten to have the satisfaction of crossing lots of stuff off and getting it completely off your mind. Take a little break and do something you enjoy as a reward. When you do get back to your list again, you can go back to prioritizing your tasks and worktime however you normally do-- settling back into your routine with a smaller, streamlined task list that will hopefully make you more effective.

Have you ever focused on doing a sprint through the small easy easy stuff on your list to cut it down to size? Tell me about it in the comments.

Lots of us start grand plans and big goals in January, when the symbolism of the new year makes them eager for changes and a new start. Sometimes by now though, you may have started stalling or faltering on your progress, or realizing to your chagrin that you have not started your new goal yet despite the best of intentions. Sound familiar at all? Read on for some tips on how to jump-start your stalled goal again and really make it happen:

1. Choose a goal that is truly one you can completely control, not just work towards or influence.

In other words, make sure you have a true goal, not just an outcome. If your goal is really an outcome in disguise, pick a concrete, actionable goal that you think will get you to your desired outcome, and then work towards that. If you later decide that your goal isn't moving you towards the outcome you seek, you can adjust your course later, but put your energy and focus into actionable work that you can do in a concrete fashion.

2. Remember why it matters so much.

Write down a list of all the reasons you want to achieve your goal. Post it somewhere that's highly visible to you, or else fold it up and keep it somewhere you can pull it out to read over when you're feeling unmotivated.

3. Do a quick idea brainstorm.

Write down, as quickly as you can in 10-20 minutes without editing or censoring yourself, every idea you have about your goal. Fun stuff, silly impractical ideas, people who might help you, research you want to do, next steps you might take, random things you meant to do and forgot... whatever comes to mind.

4. Create an action plan for your goal.

Break it down into 5-10 smaller sub-goals, which then become your milestones. Attach a goal date to each milestone, considering carefully how much time you'll need to spend to get to that milestone so that you can make the goal date as realistic as possible. If you find creating an action plan tough, imagine that it's a year from now (or however long you think your goal will take). Ask yourself, what did I accomplish in the first month back when I started to reach this goal? The month after? And so on.

5. Keep a file about your goal.

You can do this online or with paper, as you prefer. Your file can include notes and ideas, phone number/emails you need, timelines, etc... basically all the information you have about your goal gathered into one place.

6. Block out work time.

Put chunks of work time on your calendar at least weekly to work on your goal. Set yourself up to have as little distraction as possible while you work, such as trying to find childcare if applicable, shutting off the phone and your email/social media programs, etc. Treat the appointment with yourself with as much respect as you'd treat a commitment to spend time with another person.

7. Create a vision board.

Words are powerful but images can sometimes speak even more powerfully to your subconscious mind, and help keep you inspired and motivated.

8. Take care of yourself.

Get enough sleep, food, rest, exercise, water, friends/family time, and fun. If you don't keep yourself sane and functioning, believe me, you won't work as well. It might feel like a waste of time or a struggle sometimes, but you are your own tool and need to keep yourself in good condition to be effective.

9. Share your goal.

Tell trusted people that you know will encourage you and ask you how your goal is going, or get really brave and make your goal super-public online. Either way, sharing your goal creates some accountability because you'll know that other people will notice how you're doing. It also opens up possibilities for other people to support you.

10. Don't over-extend yourself in other areas.

Think about your goal every time you add something to your task list or agree to take something on for someone else. Your goal is important to you, and part of achieving it means keeping the rest of your life from using up the time and energy you need for your goal.

11. Find a hero or a role model.

Think about people you know personally or have read about who have accomplished big goals. Talk to them or read about their lives and their work, and take inspiration from the fact that there are people out there who make stuff happen! You can too.

12. Measure and assess your progress.

Track what you do and how long it takes, and what results you get. Compare what you've achieved so far with where you wanted to be at this point. If you're not on track, think about why. Was the time and effort you thought it would take to get to your milestone unrealistic? If so, how can you reconfigure your timeline to include what you've learned about how long your work takes? Did you simply not put in the time, or put in time in ways that were not productive? If so, ask yourself what's holding you back and resolve it.

13. And celebrate your progress, too!

Don't focus so hard on what you haven't done yet that you lose track of everything you have done. Give yourself a pat on the back for making a big commitment to begin with and for every bit of hard work you put in along the way. You deserve to feel proud of all your work and progress, not just at the beginning but throughout the process.

14. Speaking of process and progress... enjoy the journey.

Find ways to make the work you are putting in now pleasant and worthwhile, even though the goal itself might be the main reason you're putting in the effort.

15. Immerse yourself in subject matter that relates to your goal.

Not only will you learn useful information, but you'll keep yourself focused and inspired. (Caveat: don't confuse reading and research with actual working, though! You still have to do that too.)

16. Do something creative.

Have a hobby or creative outlet that's totally unrelated to your goal. It need not be time-intensive, but ideally it will be consistent and enjoyable. Often doing something completely different that really gets your juices flowing can generate creative energy and enthusiasm that carries over into every area of your life - including your goal. If nothing else, creative work will give your brain a change of pace and keep you energized and passionate about life, making you more effective at everything you do.

17. Spend time with other people who have goals and work towards them.

Seeing others put in time and effort to manifest their dreams will inspire you and make you feel less alone.

18. Don't give up.

Setbacks will happen - they are part of the process. When you do find them, remember that they are normal. You might need to adjust your plans, even change your timetable, but don't let challenges daunt you.

19. While you're at it, throw out the guilt.

If you mess up, that too is part of the process. Pick yourself up, see what you can learn from your mistake and resolve to do it differently next time.

20. Always know what the very next specific, concrete action is that you can take to move your goal forward.

Whenever you finish one step, think of what the next one will be before you stop working.

21. Remember that you are not your goal.

It's wonderful to have goals and make progress on them, but don't use internalize that idea such that you make your sense of self-worth dependent on your achievements. You remain worthwhile as a person regardless of what you do or don't accomplish. As talented musician Gina Sala writes, "You are intrinsically valued, and lovable and worthy of all joy and nurturing and health and vitality just because of who you are, not because of what you do!"

Good luck!

So good luck on your goals, everybody!

And now, for a bit of blatant self-promotion of my own goals and desired outcomes: I have openings for new clients right now and am just launching a new, affordable six-week goal program. Check it out and contact me if you're interested in learning more.

Have a big goal that you've been working on? I'd love to hear how it's going... what's worked well for you and what challenges you might be facing. Please feel free to share in the comments.

There are two main approaches to time management these days. The first, exemplified by Steven Covey, is oriented towards managing time by clarifying roles and values and priorities, and using that clarity to make proactive decisions about what to do first.

The second, championed by David Allen and used in his Getting Things Done method, involves starting with capturing everything down to small details in one system, and ensuring that proper workflow keeps everything in your system. Allen believes that most of us can't begin to effectively focus on values until we take control of all the details that are getting lost and clamoring for attention. Once we have a trusted system in place and can always see the reminders of work to be done when we need them, Allen claims that we will intuitively know what we need to work on at any given time. (Books by both authors can be found on my resources page if you'd like to learn more.)

I think that these two approaches are equally valid and fall on opposite ends of a spectrum. Everyone will be comfortable working differently. Some people can use either Covey's or Allen's system more or less as-is and be very successful at it. Many people, like me, will be happiest using elements of both approaches to manage their time and projects. Some people need only a few very simple tools to keep things together and moving forward.

Where do you fall on this spectrum? Do you organize your time from more of a top-down or bottom-up perspective? How is that working for you? I'd love to hear about your experiences in the comments.