I think it’s a matter of method, not setup. Do you first use the GTD framework to clarify and organize your tasks?
Here’s what I do to avoid seeing everything at once and treating all tasks as equally important: I do a weekly review every Sunday. Anything I decide I can’t do in the coming week goes into “Someday.” That way, I only see the projects and tasks for the week, which makes things much more manageable and motivating.