With the opening of the 2016 Summer Games approaching, it’s a topic I often hear leaders talking about as I speak at conferences and events.

Unfortunately, the conversations so far have mirrored the headlines, focusing on issues with the host site or the games themselves. There are stories of construction delays, water quality concerns, crime, and of course the Zika virus, which is keeping some participants away. Doping scandals have becoming an unfortunate part of most international events, but the recent twist has involved the quality of the labs doing the testing. Even feel-good stories like the progress of the Olympic torch have had a way of turning bad, as when an endangered jaguar, after taking part in a torch ceremony, escaped its handlers and was killed by the military.

The dynamic of problems on top of more problems is one that most people in leadership can understand. Even for the best planners and managers there are times when nothing goes right, and some projects feel like a magnet for disasters.

We’ve talked about some principles facing serious challenges in this space not long ago, but today I want to look at three key strategies for focusing your energy where it can do the most good when you’re confronted with multiple challenges.

Apply triage.

First developed on the battlefield, the principles of triage sorted the wounded into three groups: Those who require immediate lifesaving treatment, those with less serious injuries who can wait, and those who are beyond help. The concept has since been adapted in emergency medicine and anywhere priorities need to be determined based on complex, changing information. For example, it may help you determine which client relationships to focus on rebuilding after a major breach of trust, or where to begin repairs after a natural disaster.

Remember the Serenity Prayer.

Reinhold Niebuhr’s simple prayer—“God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, courage to change the things I can, and wisdom to know the difference”—is well known to anyone who’s familiar with Alcoholics Anonymous or other 12-step programs, where it’s commonly known as the Serenity Prayer. The principle is as valid in leadership as in other spheres: Don’t waste your time, resources, or energy on things outside your control. That means that finding “the wisdom to know the difference” becomes an integral part of project management.

Keep a mission-centered perspective.

Keep your mission in the forefront when you’re determining priorities and action plans. Think about your core operation and its most essential requirements, then work outward from there. If you’re running an educational program, for example, all your mission really requires is a teacher, a student, and a space for them to come together. What comes next is probably materials, then improvements to the setting. It’s always true, but especially so in a crisis, that if you keep your eye on your mission your decisions will never be too far from the mark.

With the Olympics, we can already see some of the athletes’ stories beginning to move to the top of the headlines. That doesn’t mean that the problems of the event and its host city are magically resolved, but it does remind us of another factor to keep in mind when it seems to be raining troubles: It won’t last forever.