To manage their time, many business professionals try making a to do list. However, if you are like me, the list just keeps on growing and growing until you feel overwhelmed. Recently, I attended a seminar on balancing work and family by Chris Sopa. (By the way, if you get a chance to hear her talk, take advantage of it. She does a terrific job.) Chris suggests a modified version of the to do list that is working out much better for me:

* Make your mile long to do list on the bottom half of a sheet of paper.
* Write the numbers 1-6 on the top half of the paper.
* Transfer the 6 items you must get done today, in order of their importance, to the top of the page.
* If you get those top 6 done, you can always do some of the other chores on your master list.