Urgent items are always focused on the present moment: They need attention right now and if they are not dealt with, the consequences also happen right now. Important items on the other hand belong to long-term goals and items of strategic value.
Thereof, how do you tell the difference between urgent and important?
Urgency is driven by external factors like deadlines whereas importance is more of an introspective exercise.
The word urgent is used in the sense of ‘requiring immediate action or attention’. On the other hand, the word important is used in the sense ‘of great significance or value’. This is the most important difference between urgent and important. Both urgent and important are used as adjectives.
In this regard, what is urgent but not important?
Urgent but Not Important activities are things that sap your time and energy without contributing to longer term benefits. They keep you busy but have no real value. Urgent but not Important tasks might include: Regular meetings and reports.