Does your “to do” list keep you up at night? Handle it. If a thing is worth doing, it’s worth giving a deadline. Any task that will take more than about fifteen minutes should go onto your calendar, with time blocked to get it done. Use “to do” lists for small tasks that you want to remember and limit the shelf life of “to do” items to a day or two. 

Any items that roll over day after day need to be killed. Clearly, they aren’t worth your time. If your list is getting longer, spend more time doing the daily and weekly planning that will ensure you prioritize and reserve time for the work you should be doing.

Don’t try to manage your business on a “to do” basis! The more connected your work is to your calendar and schedule, the more realistic you’ll be about how much time you have and how you want to spend it.