Welcome to the new year. You had grand plans for last year and accomplished a few of your bigger goals but now have a seemingly insurmountable pile of leftover tasks on your To Do list.

Now what? How can you maintain balance and sanity in your life and not be overwhelmed with everything you have to do?

Since Mindful Survival is new to the web of survival sites and we're working on our own plan for 2013, we figured we'd share a few tips on what we do to keep an ever-growing task list in check:

1. K.I.S.S.

Keep It Simple, Stupid! If you write down something as broad as "Learn French" on your To Do list, odds are good you won't do it. Break your goals into smaller chunks and you're more likely to achieve them. If you want to learn a new language, a good first step might be to read reviews of three highly rated books on learning the language then buy one, or to sign up for an evening course at your local college if you work during the day.

At Mindful Survival, we're relatively new to the idea of self-sufficiency in hard times, and we know that the amount of info from survival sites can be overwhelming. So beginning later this week, we're writing one short blog post every week about something simple you can do to help your family prepare for an emergency situation or natural disaster (sign up for the newsletter for updates).

Doing something once a week is much less overwhelming than having no schedule at all then hoping for the best.

And limit the number of tasks on your daily To Do list. The more tasks you add, the less likely you'll do any of them. And if you only have a few urgent things to do, getting them done feels that much better and encourages you to do more.

2. Take a break.

Sometimes we just need time. Don't feel guilty about taking a walk around the block, a 20-minute nap, or a break to play with your pets or kids. The change of pace and thinking about something other than all the things you have to do can recharge you and put you in a more positive mindset.

3. Urgent ≠ Important

You get a call from the dentist reminding you of your upcoming appointment, and they want you to call back right away to confirm. Or you run out of milk and think "Maybe I should run to the store to get some more now, before I forget." But are these the most important things you should be doing right now? They're urgent—because they just popped up, and in the first case, someone else thinks it is—but if they're keeping you from doing something that's truly important to you, they aren't important.

When something interrupts your productivity on an big project at work or in your free time, instead of jumping into the new and urgent issue, take a few seconds to consider whether the interruption is urgent and important, or urgent because it just popped up and you feel like you need to do it right away.

Balancing urgent issues that aren't important with important things you're already working on is tricky but can have a hugely beneficial effect on what you absolutely need to get done.

4. Breathe.

We'll write more about breathing techniques in the future, but we can't overlook them now. Focusing on your breath is immensely helpful in stressful situations: It can help you relax and give your brain the capacity to make better decisions.

For the next few days, try focusing on your breath when you really need it: When you get stressed in traffic or during an argument with your significant other, before yelling or responding in a way you probably shouldn't, try to focus on your breath for 10 seconds. Think about breathing in slowly for five seconds and out slowly for five more, and nothing else.

Don't force your breath or hold it for too long; just focus on it. You'll probably notice that you weren't breathing much to begin with, and simply thinking about breathing will help you calm down.

5. Try a few methods, then do what works for you.

There are plenty of branded time-management techniques out there that claim they'll make you more productive and less overwhelmed. Don't be afraid to try them—but don't be afraid to create your own system or use a mishmash method, either.

Using a beautifully simple To Do app like Clear to keep track of everything you need to do might make sense for some people, while a large wall calendar full of handwritten scheduled tasks might work better for someone else.

Try a few different things, see which makes you feel the most productive, and start there.

What's one thing that keeps you from feeling overwhelmed by the things you need to do? Share your tip in the comments section below.