“The whole world is set on fire.”

That’s one of the more memorable quotes from the 1992 film version of The Last of the Mohicans. And since I’m indulging my inner drama queen, that’s how I’ve felt lately. As loyal readers may have noticed, a nasty little virus wandered in and briefly staked claim on behalf of some probably nonexistent terrorist group. Posts have fallen behind as I’ve focused on other site-related issues. Like many people, I’ve gotten caught up in putting out fires instead of blazing my path. As a result, the mountains have started to seem overwhelming.

So … since I can’t rely on the film’s heroic Nathaniel to fight my battles for me, how can I do a better job of bringing my goals into focus? By using these strategies:

• Write them. It would help if I knew what my immediate goals were. So the first step is to decide where I want to be six months from now. Once that medium-range objective is determined, I can figure out what steps I’ll need to take to get there. That will enable me to set interim goals. Aha! Now I have a written plan. Study after study has found that people who write down their goals are more likely to achieve them.

• Relish them. So what’s the point of this objective? What’s in it for me? Each day I need to set aside just a few minutes to meditate on the long-term goal and how it will benefit my life. Those few minutes will help me approach the day’s tasks with a sense of purpose and motivation. And that sense of purpose will help keep me from becoming distracted by the little fires that are bound to pop up as I continue toward my reward.

• Believe them. Instead of seeing the mountain as insurmountable and immovable, I need to start thinking of it as nonexistent. To achieve, I must believe—and that should be reflected in my language. It shouldn’t be “if” but “when,” not “I hope” but “I will.” The more we tell ourselves that we can do whatever we desire, the more likely we’ll set the world on fire with our accomplishments instead of letting the world burn us out.