I don't know about you, but in a given day, there are vast quantities of menial tasks to manage in a given day. Time and task management has always been a shtick of mine, and the fact that I can list principles of effectiveness is just proof of how much of a huge nerd I am. But they're helpful! So here they are, directly from the Nerd's mouth. Whether you work in an office or not, I hope you find these techniques that I use helpful in some way.

• develop a system for sorting e-mail
  
  E-mail can be one of the most overwhelming things to deal with on a daily basis--messages pile up, because it's difficult to figure out what to do with e-mail. On the surface, it seems like what you need to do is simply reply to everything. Not so. All e-mail solicits you in three ways: information (no action), questions (reply), or a request (perform a task).
  
  So, before I even reply to anything, I sort my e-mail. Any message that I flag gets put into a Smart Folder I've created in my Mail application called "REPLY / ACTION". Self-explanatory, right? Then, I reply to things as needed, and record things to do in my planner, leaving a message flagged if an action hasn't been performed yet.
• set aside specific chunks of time for e-mail
  
  One of the worst things about e-mail is the way it compulsively draws you to hit the "New Mail" button for no really good reason at all, at all times of the day. All the messages and communication from people is affirming, but it's easy to get stuck in a loop of perpetual inactivity while the e-mail piles up, unanswered and calling you again.
  
  So in order to prevent myself from being or falling into a trap, I build a little moat around the time that I check e-mail. I check for new mail only:
  1. after I've accomplished a few tasks in the morning, or
  2. if I have the time to answer it
  
  That way I am less likely to miss something important, and less likely to derail my workflow.
  
  You can read more great tips about e-mail over atMerlin Mann's productivity website.
• pick 1 or 2 large tasks to tackle for the day
  
  I do this for two reasons: in order to focus more easily, and so I don't get frustrated with a list of things left undone at the end of the day. If I have fewer things that I set out to do, not only am I more likely to accomplish them, but I'm also leaving room for some down time, and the other little things that come up.
• take breaks after an hour or so
  
  I find this to be very difficult.
  
  You've probably heard of this before. The more you sit and stare at a computer screen, or the more that you keep focusing on a single task, the more likely it is that your activity level will continue to drop as your brain gets tired. Going for a walk, getting up to brew coffee, or even breaking up a computer-based task with smaller physical tasks helps me rejuvenate and feel more willing and able to go back and keep working.
  
  And sometimes when I get frustrated with more menial or boring tasks, I "treat" myself to a bit of collage or some juicy reading material for 10 minutes or so. It helps jazz my brain and gets me going again.
• schedule time to take care of the small things
  
  Mopping, vacuuming, and cleaning the bathroom are my weekly chores in my household (the Husband does all the dishes, car maintenance, and takes out the trash). Cleaning is not my favorite thing to do in life, nor is it my highest priority. This makes it a Small Thing, so I try to make sure that it takes up a Small Amount of Time (while still managing to keep things shiny).
  
  So I pick a day to do it (Wednesday), and I give myself a time limit (30 minutes). Given my small apartment, it should take me no more than that. Having a set day helps me not to worry about whether or not it will get done, and having a time limit helps me not to feel overwhelmed by the task.
• take time out to plan your week
  
  This is especially helpful if I'm going to have a busy week. Usually sometime on the weekend I'll look at the larger projects or things I have going on, and try to realistically plan my week in light of those obligations. I put the big stuff in first (appointments, obligations, and hard deadlines), then the second tier stuff (personal projects, fun events, and getting together with friends), followed by the little stuff that could slide if it had to (cleaning, small chores, low-priority or slow-burning tasks.
  
  It's especially helpful to plan the week in light of picking 1 or 2 tasks per day, and choosing 1 or 2 multi-day projects to accomplish for the week. I tell myself that it's okay to keep it small, because that keeps me sane.

While it may seem obsessive (and in some ways it is) to put your life under this kind of microscope, I've found it especially helpful, because it helps keep the little things little, and makes room for you to tackle the important stuff. And looking at what I choose to let slide versus what I choose to prioritize helps me see if I'm putting my money where my mouth is. Are there little things that I'm making into a big deal unnecessarily? Am I prioritizing the things that I really want to do, or just putting things at top priority for the sake of having a top priority? Answering those questions helps me to continually revise my personal goals, and reveals new venues and ideas that I didn't even realize I was exploring.

Onward and upward! What are some of your lifehacking tips?