战国时期，孟子曾说，处理事情要分清主次轻重缓急，先处理当务之急。有一位弟子问孟子，如何处理繁杂的事情，孟子回答说：‘当务之急，舍此之外，皆不必虑也。’ 意思是说，要找出当前最重要的、最紧急的事情来处理，其他的事情可以暂时放在一边。后来，这个弟子带着疑问去拜访一位老先生，老先生给他讲了一个故事：从前有位官员，他每天都处理各种各样的公务，忙得焦头烂额。有一天，他突然发现，自己忽略了一个非常重要的事情——他的家庭。他的妻子和孩子对他越来越疏远，家庭关系变得很紧张。这位老先生对弟子说，‘这位官员就是因为没有把‘家庭和睦’作为‘当务之急’来处理，所以导致了家庭的破碎。’”,
zhanguoshiqi, mengzi ceng shuo, chuli shiqing yao fenqing zhuci qingzhong huanji, xian chuli dangwu zhi ji. you yige dizi wen mengzi, ruhe chuli fanza de shiqing, mengzi huida shuo: 'dangwu zhi ji, she ci zhi wai, jie bubi lü ye.' yisi shuo, yao zhaochu dangqian zui zhongyao de, zui jinji de shiqing lai chuli, qitadeshiqing keyi zanshi fang zai yibianguo hou, zhege dizi daizhe yiwen qu baifang yiwei laoxiansheng, laoxiansheng gei ta jiangle yige gushi: congqian you wei guan yuan, ta meitian dou chuli gezhong geyang de gongwu, mang de jiaotou lanae. you yitian, ta turan faxian, ziji huoluelai yige feichang zhongyao de shiqing - ta de jiating. ta de qizi he haizi dui ta yuelaiyue shuyuan, jiating guanxi biande hen jinzhang. zhewei laoxiansheng dui dizi shuo, 'zhewei guan yuan jiushi yinwei meiyou ba jiating hemu zuowei dangwu zhi ji lai chuli, suoyidaozhile jiating de posui.’