It is easy to fight fires and answer emails. You don’t have to think about what to do, you just execute. There is no planning or discipline required. It is easy to display to others that you are working hard. You can justify work on these urgent tasks. You are just doing your job and management needs to fix this.
But there is an opportunity cost. This is reducing your ability to make an impact in your career.
You can decide to be uncomfortable and do the hard things like making a plan, working it, and adjusting it as needed while navigating the supposed fires.
If you want to accomplish bigger projects you need to keep them top of mind and limit your projects to no more than three. This is a discipline.