Then you might find this helpful…
This isn’t my idea at all and, in fact, I’m a student of it. The philosophy is Jim Benson’s and Tonianne DeMaria Barry’s and it’s written up in their book “Personal Kanban.” See http://www.personalkanban.com/pk/#sthash.kx80gfYu.dpbs
To explain…
Kanban is an approach used in manufacturing in which stock to be consumed is only moved to the production line when it is needed. The result is, therefore, a demand-led, pull system. For a simple example, see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kanban_board
The alternative, and in the West, traditional approach to manufacturing involves moving stock to the line to be processed i.e. it is a push system.
Most of us manage our tasks and to-do lists with a push approach. Basically, we pile it all in.
And the result is stress and reduced achievement.
Moving from a push approach to a pull approach to managing tasks makes a world of a difference.
The two key principles of Personal Kanban are: Visualize your work and limit your work in progress.
In other words…
Don’t move anything else into your “Doing” until you’ve moved something out.
As a former colleague said, more prosaically…
“When it comes to swatting flies, the important thing to do is swat one fly properly”—not very Buddhist, but there we go!
You might like to investigate. I’ve found this philosophy very helpful.