Important vs urgent

In my workplace, we often have more work than we have personnel to handle it. As a technical nerd, I enjoy tackling technical challenges; however, to use my time efficiently, prioritizing tasks is essential. Whenever I receive a request, I assess it based on the following criteria:

1. Is this a bug and does it have significant consequences if not addressed immediately?
2. Is the feature well-defined? Who will be the users, and how will they use it? What value will it bring to them?
3. Will we lose money in the short term (in less than 3 months), if we don't implement it?

If a request satisfactorily meets either criteria 1, or both criteria 2 and 3, I set aside my current tasks and begin working on it. It's important to note that priority/urgency and importance are distinct considerations. I do not simply ask if a feature is "important," as all features hold importance in at least one context.

Surprisingly, few requests meet these criteria. Those that don't are recorded in our tracking system to be revisited later.