Setting priorities is not difficult. We simply need to prioritize those tasks that relate to our most important goals higher than tasks that relate to goals that are less important. The hard part is to execute that plan because there is a lot of energy pulling us towards waste.
The energy that pulls us away from our priority is grounded in delusion. Delusion can be of various types, such as the view that our actions don’t matter, the view that satisfaction can be gained from external worldly pursuits or even the view that priority setting through personal reflection is a waste of time.
There is no need to become distracted by this wasteful energy. Once we understand clearly that our purpose in life is to live satisfied in the present moment, we can carefully delegate, defer or ignore tasks that do not contribute to a mindful lifestyle. Once we let go of aimless or unmindful behaviour, we can really start to enjoy life in the here and now.
There is a tried and true method for training the mind to let go of unskilful behaviour. This method has not changed for several thousand years since it was discovered by the Buddha and its relevance has not diminished since that time. The method is twofold: first it requires temporally silencing the distraction caused by wasteful energy by placing oneself into seclusion (a retreat). The second element is to adopt a training regime in mindfulness.
When those two elements are combined, we begin to transform the mind so that it becomes more and more centered on satisfaction in the here and now. Upon returning to our daily lives after each successive retreat, we can begin to see wasteful energy reducing.