Latest and Loudest
Responding to "latest and loudest" is a choice. The problem is that if you don't have a complete inventory of all of your choices about what you work on latest and loudest becomes your default.
The important stuff that really matters to your clients, your team, your company and you will almost never happen. Unless of course it gets to the point where the important stuff has been sitting there for so long that it has blown up and is now top of your latest and loudest pile.
Then of course the solution that you have to put in place to resolve that issue is compromised by urgency. A sticking plaster remedy.
The way out? Make sure that you have a complete inventory of all of your options so that when latest and loudest hits you can judge it dispassionately. You know what the implications are for the other projects that you want to focus on by spending your time dealing with whatever's suddenly clamouring for your attention.
Hint: most latest and loudest are never as urgent as they seem at first glance. Working out what you have to do in a particular situation and then evaluating that against all of your other choices will give you that perspective.