I hate to say this, but you just have to force yourself to reduce the backswing. You could have someone watch you and let you know if you are deviating from what you want. I think also, positioning yourself at the optimum points will give you a feel of what that position should look/feel like. For instance, if you know where the ball needs to be at the top of your backswing, hold that position and get a feel for what that feels like.
Ultimately you should see a respected coach to get detail goals. You can even send video to some if there aren't any nearby.