The inaction and frustration that comes from feeling overwhelmed wastes energy and doesn’t shrink your growing todo list.  That’s why making progress on the important action items is so key — it’s essential that you build some momentum, just take a bite-sized chunk out of your list instead of fearing the enormity of the list.  I find it very satisfying to knock off some of the little actions to make the list seem less intimidating; but it’s important not to get stuck in the details — invest real time in the big, challenging projects on your list.  And toss things off the list that aren’t important.