In a 1994 book, Stephen Covey recommended thinking about working with priorities as if it were a bowl or a container in which we first put large stones (i.e. main tasks), followed by the smaller ones, and then fill the rest in with sand (i.e. small tasks). Unlike Covey’s coach, we just desperately sort through the rocks all day, choosing which ones to put in the container and which ones we won’t be able to, leaving us and with a sense of being a failure in life. For a couple of months I’ve been perfecting an algorithm that helps me to prioritize some important things and throw away other important things — without succumbing to regret or guilt.