Huh, somehow I never encountered this simple tweak to the "Eisenhower Matrix" (the Important vs Urgent 2x2): https://blog.vpecoach.com/calendar-triage-for-startup-leaders-53f52f7cef10

Rather than end up with the mode of failure that "everything is Important & Urgent, so nothing is", the author suggests putting your items equally spread out along continuous graph axes, ranked relative to one another. THEN draw in the Important vs Urgent lines such that 50% of items fall to each side of the lines. (Then make hard decisions.)