[whpalmer4]

Here's an alternative/additional tactic: use start dates. Make yourself a "tickler" perspective (context mode, group by start, available actions). When you enter a bunch of tasks, spread out the start dates a bit so that you've got a reasonably-sized pile of new work showing up in the hopper each day, hopefully long before it is due. Somehow it doesn't seem as overwhelming when you can keep knocking off the newly arriving tasks before they have a chance to ferment and turn into due soon or even worse overdue tasks. And, you don't dilute the emphasis of a due date quite so much if you avoid assigning due dates you know you probably won't honor. Looking at the tickler view and seeing that there's stuff that you've had sitting there undone for a week or more after starting gives some motivation to go clear away those tasks, whether by doing them or reassessing whether or not it is important that you do it, and saves the overdue red alarm (and Due Today) for truly critical actions.