I Am a Writer

“I bleed words.
I dream in narrative. 
I live in infinite worlds.
I befriend figmental characters.
I wish on stars in other galaxies.
I harvest stories from a brooding muse.
I bloom under moonlight in hushed seclusion.
I am a writer.” 
                                                            ― Richelle E. Goodrich

Copyright 2014 Richelle E. Goodrich

Giving Away Stories

Would you like to know the most frustrating thing about being a book writer?  You might guess that it's the headache of attempting to compose a concise and gripping query letter meant to convince an agent to please, please, please consider your work.  Or you might think it's the effort of maintaining blogs and tweets and social media when what you really need is to be writing your manuscript.  Or maybe it is sweating over another revision where words and phrases have become déja vu protected by some muse-conjured force field outside your ability to edit.  Or perhaps it's just the futility of trying to find ways to make your book stand out among millions and millions of probably far superior....

Whoa, wait.  Let me rewind here.

Would you like to know ONE of the most frustrating things about being a book writer?  It is holding this completed novel in your hands―a work you've fallen in love with over the months it's taken to research and revise and carefully compose until it is now a wondrous reading experience―that only you have tasted.  You're alone in knowing how grand the story is; you've no one to talk to about this fantastical, life-altering journey you've been on!  More than anything in the world, you want to post it everywhere for the multitudes to read―because they'll surely want to―and share in the remarkable triumphs your clever characters have fought to overcome!

But you can't simply give your hard work away.....even though you long to do just that.  I mean, what about your goal to profit off your books?  You've spent years putting them together, hoping someday to live the dream of supporting yourself as a novelist!  All that work....all that time....and you just want to give it away?

Ah heck, why not?

I'll admit that when I complete a writing project, all I really want is for someone to read it.  Just read it!  Take it in.  Experience the story I crafted.  That's why I always post beginning book chapters on my authorblog.  That's why two years ago I started writing online stories available for free.  I add new chapters annually to my developing adventures, a tradition I look forward to.  

How did this ritual begin?  A few Halloweens back I had the idea to write a short story for a friend who happens to be a fanatic when it comes to All Hallows Eve.  I wrote the story and titled it TheTarishe Curse.  It was posted on Halloween 2012.  My friend loved it!  *Whew*  And as far as I was concerned, the task (and the tale) was over.

But then she asked, "What happens next?"
What do you mean?  The story ended.  Well, sort of.  But a good imagination can take it from there.  However....

An idea was planted in my head—an idea I fell in love with.  Why not write a story online for everyone to read?  A story that develops into something greater every year!  Yeah, why not?  And so I did. 

You can read it for free and anticipate more to come.  Perhaps consider adding this to your holiday traditions.  

The Tarishe Curse

 

This is a developing online book with new chapters added every Halloween.

Catherine fights every Hallows Eve to protect her village from creatures of the night.  She has sworn to avenge the deaths of loved ones, but a witch's curse may prove a stumbling block impossible to overcome.

"A thrilling piece of fantasy fiction from the Queen of Werefolk's point of view.  It is challenging enough for Duvalla and Kresh to protect their young family in a world of Hallows Eve creatures, but such a feat proves near impossible when a witch bent on vengeance against the werewolves casts a Tarishe curse that manipulates both heart and mind.  The fight is not only with the sword but an internal struggle to love the ones Duvalla has sworn under a spell to hate, and hate the one who through evil enchantment manipulates her heart."

 And please share!  Leave your reaction; write a review; talk to others about it.  Talk to ME about it!  I write to entertain―myself first and then others.   

Copyright 2014 Richelle E. Goodrich

Poetry as Therapy

Life hands us lovely days and awful ones; angry thunderstorms roll in that eventually fade to reveal cheery skies.  The sun rises to light our way, always setting to give darkness due time.  Every individual faces trials, feeling the weight of fear and sorrow as well as the immense relief that comes at their passing.

"No one is without troubles, without personal hardships and genuine challenges.  That fact may not be obvious because most people don't advertise their woes and heartaches.  But nobody, not even the purest heart, escapes life without suffering battle scars."  — Richelle E. Goodrich (Smile Anyway: Quotes, Verse, & Grumblings for Every Day of the Year) Coping with one's feelings during hardships, finding a healthy way to manage, can often be as challenging as surviving the trial itself.  For some of us, it may be the most trying part.  To think you can escape or anesthetize or ignore your scarred emotions, believing they will somehow no longer exist is like turning your back on the sun day after day believing this will negate its effects.  The sun was meant to shine and to warm the world, as emotions were meant to give experience and meaning to our lives.  Yes, even awful emotions have a place.  Various tools exist to promote healing during tribulations; all of them require the courage to feel.   Poetry is one such tool—my frequent therapy of choice.  When I sit down to pen out a poem, it is with the intent of expressing the emotions and experiences consuming me at the moment.  It is a healing exercise to struggle with mixing words and my own feelings, pairing them up until I find myself mumbling creative lines that match exactly the sentiments gripping my heart.  Perhaps I do this to better understand myself, knowing if I can communicate well enough, others in similar circumstances will feel and empathize and understand.  I have written poems in the happiest of moods and in the depths of despair.  It may be that when you write, you choose to share your verse with others or with no one.  Either way, growth, cleansing, relief all come from the process. I Danced with Gods Last night I danced.  My body rose from its slump for the first time since the beginning of sorrows—my fingers beckoning to the stars at arm's length, back arching as tingles bubbled up my spine, hips caught in a silent tempo while on tiptoe I twirled in endless euphoric circles. It didn't matter that you loved me or that you didn't. For I was wanted by the gods last night; their seraphs and muses descending on moonbeams into my midst, caressing my face and gliding their spirited arms about my waist, lifting my toes from the soil that I might feel what it is to fly without heaviness of heart. I danced with them under the glow of a loyal moon. For one brief, visceral dance I joyed as Heaven joys—in endless bliss. And the universe cherished me.  — Richelle E. Goodrich  Abandoned The word alone sends shudders down a sensitive spine, troubling the thoughts of pained souls as their hurt swells in ripples. It is a sentence of undesired solitude often pronounced on the innocent, the trusting—administered without warning or satisfactory cause. One day the moon is yours, or so you believe. The next, his countenance transforms from Jekyll to Hyde with no intention of ever turning back, and you are left trampled upon in a deserted street, concealed by dirty fog that squelches all illumination or any hope for future rays of light. It is the worst of mysteries why a beast considered noble would forsake his duty, exhibiting a heart of stone. And all who once looked on him, now turn down their eyes and suffer, beguiled. Some poisons have no antidote, but are slow, silent, torturous ends that curl up the broken body swept into a cold, dark corner. There she is left to drown in her tears—a dying heart. Abandoned.   — Richelle E. Goodrich  All That I Have  My spirit mirrors the radiance of a clear, blue sky. With closed eyes I lift my face and smile, warmed from the core and from above. All hopes and dreams compete with this endless expanse of heaven, desiring the clock of eternity. I reach with my hands―frenziedly achieving―attempting to learn and do all. Yet I understand the humble truth; a drop of rain shall amount to my contribution among all the droplets in the vast ocean of human history. It is a pure and precious tear that seeps from my efforts....my existence. Taste how sweet! It is all I have, given willingly.                     — Richelle E. Goodrich  Do I Love You I stand in the night and stare up at a lone star, wondering what love means.  You whisper your desire—do I love you?  I dare say yes.  But my eyes drift back to that solitary star; my mind is plagued with intimate uncertainty. What art thou, Love?  Tell me. I contemplate what I know—the qualities love doth not possess.  Love lifts no cruel or unkind hand, for it seeketh no harm.  It shirks from constraints and demands, for tyranny is not love.  A boisterous voice never crosses love's lips, for to speak with thunder chases its very presence from the heart.  Love inflicts no pain, no fear, no misery, but conquers all such foes.  It is said love is not selfish, yet it does not guilt those who are.  On a heart unwillingly given it stakes no claim.  Love is nothing from Pandora's box; it is no evil, sin, or sorrow unleashed on this world. My eyes glimmer as the star I gaze upon twinkles with brightness I do not possess.  I recognize my smallness—my ignorance of the One whose hands placed that star in the heavens for me. He is love.  By His own mouth He proclaimed it. Again the whispered question hits my ear—do I love you?  I dare say yes.  But my eyes squint tight, wishing on a lonely star, wondering what love means.  — Richelle E. Goodrich Copyright 2012 Richelle E. Goodrich

    

An Author and Inspiration

I came across a blog post written by a highly successful author whose multiple series are constant reads at my house. I found it an inspiring piece—a reminder for struggling writers such as myself that success is indeed built upon a foundation of often discouraging steps. I had to smile knowing my first book signing went far better by comparison (I sold 18 books), but the journey for bigger achievements goes on. This author's words I keep close at hand, where I can read them whenever my dreams seem more like a trek to the moon than a climb up a mountain peak—as if scaling a mountain isn't exhausting enough. For some reason, this personal entry affected me; I feel like my goals are doable in the real world.

Following is the actual post by Rick Riordan.

Saturday, December 22, 2007

My Overnight Success

At a recent event, someone asked me, “How does it feel to be an overnight success?”

The question took me aback. I had no idea how to answer, but I was struck by how drastically perception can differ from reality.

I’ve read about rock musicians who play free gigs for years in dingy bars—paying their dues—before they get the one big break that attracts national attention. Suddenly, the artist is an ‘overnight success.’ No one has heard of him before, so even though he has been toiling for years, people just assume he appeared out of nowhere, a fully-formed rock star, like Athena springing from the head of Zeus.

If a tree falls in the woods and no one hears . . . well, the tree doesn’t exist until we notice it. Thinking about my own ‘overnight success,’ I remembered one of the first book signings I ever did, ten years ago, when Big Red Tequila first came out. I was invited to Waldenbooks in a shopping mall in Concord, California. They set up a table at the front of the store. They allotted two hours. I sat there in my coat and tie and watched people pass by, steering clear of me like I was an insurance salesman. I gave directions to Sears. I explained several times that I wasn’t an employee at the bookstore and I didn’t know where the self-help section was. I signed a napkin for a couple of teenaged boys who thought the title Big Red Tequila sounded slightly naughty because it had to do with alcohol. I sold no books.

I remember the first book discussion group I did in Oakland. Two people showed up. And after that, a seemingly endless string of events for my mystery series—lots of empty chairs, apologetic booksellers, forced smiles. “Oh, it doesn’t matter if no one shows up!” I’d tell myself over and over. “It’s the signed stock and the publicity that counts!” Well . . . maybe. But I still felt like I was trying to fill a reservoir with an eye-dropper.

Most writers have stories like this. We dread the room full of empty chairs. I still have a deeply ingrained fear that no one will show up whenever I do an event. I am constantly amazed when I walk into a bookstore and there are actually people waiting for me.

When the Lightning Thief first came out, two years ago, I was a basket case. I had a feeling in my gut that this book was my big chance. And I also had a feeling that the big chance was slipping away. My family and I went out to the Bay Area to visit our old stomping ground, and I kept looking for signs that the Lightning Thief was making a big splash, getting some publicity, getting displayed prominently. No such luck. We stopped by several bookstores to sign stock. There was no stock. I did an event at one store (unfortunately, the day after the latest Harry Potter release) and the bleary-eyed bookseller’s only comment about Lightning Thief was, “Oh, it hasn’t gotten much coverage, has it?” One family showed up to hear me talk about my book. Two parents. One kid. I went back to the hotel room and curled into fetal position, thinking, “Well, that’s it. Nobody likes Percy Jackson.” My wife still teases me about that trip. She says, “If I could only go back in time and show you what was going to happen.” Still, at the time, I felt hopeless. It was another six months of constant touring and school visits before the Lightning Thief started gaining any traction at all. The Bluebonnet list from the Texas Library Association was the series’ first big break. Then it began showing up on other state lists, and word started getting around. Even after that, things were slow. I remember when Sea of Monsters came out, a year later, I was still having anxious conversations with my editor and agent, wondering what I could do to improve sales. Were we missing something? Was I wrong to think the series would connect with kids? It took almost two years before I really felt like things were turning around.

What made the difference? It’s hard to say, but it was a combination of factors. Most importantly, word-of-mouth. The series grew from the ground up, with one kid recommending the book to his or her friends. Booksellers and teachers and librarians started talking. I toured and did school visits relentlessly. The Sea of Monsters got on the Scholastic Book Club video, which was no small thing. The state reading lists started kicking in. And suddenly, just before the Titan’s Curse was released, the series seemed to reach critical mass and sales exploded.

But boy, it was a long time coming. I felt like I was clawing my way up a pit, tooth and nail. Am I complaining? Of course not. I’m just marveling at how uncertain I felt for so long. Nothing about the series’ success seemed inevitable. Even after I got the ‘ultimate break’ of being published for the first time, it was another eight years of writing while teaching full-time before I could go full-time as a writer, and two years more before I really felt like I was going to succeed. And still, who knows what will happen six months or a year from now? There are no guarantees.

As with any high-profile job, writing is judged by the exceptions in the field, not the average. When the general public hears the word ‘author,’ they think J.K. Rowling, Stephen King, James Patterson. They hear ‘basketball player,’ they think of Michael Jordan, Shaquille O’Neal, Tim Duncan. It’s an easy jump to think that all authors are like J.K. Rowling, and every basketball player is Michael Jordan. In fact, 99% of authors have never and will never experience anything like the success of the top 1%. Most writers, even if they manage to get published, never quit their day jobs. Most will never get on the bestseller list nor have their books made into a movie, just as most basketball players will never play in the NBA, and even those lucky few who do will never make the money of a superstar. Judging other books by the Harry Potter series is sort of like saying, “Well, that guy won the Powerball lottery, therefore everyone who plays should win the Powerball lottery.” That doesn’t mean we can’t dream. If a kid wants to aim at being a pro ball player, that’s awesome. If a writer wants to become the next ______ (fill-in-the-blank author), that’s fantastic, but it’s good to approach that ambition with your eyes open. It will most likely be a long, hard road with no guarantee that success will come. Exceptions are rare, which is why they get so much attention. For every well-known author you can think of, there are a thousand more struggling in the purgatory known as the “midlist,” and tens of thousands who are still trying to get published. And even those well-known authors probably struggled a lot longer and harder than you realize to get where they are.

I’m not saying this to gripe, or gloat, or whine. I’m just trying to provide some context, so when I tell you how grateful I am for the success of the books, and how lucky I feel, you’ll understand where I’m coming from. People ask me what I think about getting so much attention, and how it’s changed my life. It really hasn’t. I’m the same guy who sat in Waldenbooks for two hours, giving directions and smiling vacantly at a stream of shoppers who were trying to ignore me. I’m the same guy who stared at countless rooms full of empty chairs in countless bookstores for ten years. I am still amazed every time I get a crowd at an event. I take nothing for granted.

But you can’t really explain something like that in the middle of an event. It’s too hard to put into words without people thinking that I’m bragging or complaining. So the next time someone asks me, “How does it feel to be an overnight success?” I plan on smiling politely and saying, “It feels great.”

Visit Rick Riordan's Blog at rickriordan.blogspot.com

Some Say Freedom...

My Father: Vietnam War

Some say freedom is a gift placed in our hands by our forefathers.

Some say freedom is a human right that none should be denied.

Some say freedom is a privilege that can and will be seized if taken for granted.

Some say freedom is the key that opens doors otherwise meant to imprison.

Some say freedom is power to do, to be, to say, and to accomplish what the oppressed cannot.

Some say freedom is a responsibility—a weight to be carried and shared by those willing to protect it.

Perhaps freedom is all these things.

But in my eyes, I see freedom as a treasure.  

It is a gem so rare and precious the fiercest battles rage over it.  The blood of thousands is spilled for it—past, present, and future.  Where true and unblemished freedom exists, it shines with perfect clarity, drawing the greedy masses, both those who desire a portion of the spoils and those who would rob the possessor of the treasure, hoping to bury it away.  

Without freedom I am a slave in shackles on a ship lost at sea.

With freedom I am a captain; I am a pirate; I am an admiral; I am a scout; I am the eagle souring overhead; I am the north star guiding a crew; I am the ship itself;  I am whatever I choose to be.

A Book for Children's Charity

A few months ago I was asked to participate in a charity writing project.  The goal was to collect short stories from willing authors and then compile these original tales into a book where 100% of proceeds from sales would go directly to the Devizes & District Opportunity Centre, an organization helping special needs children and their families.  

I eagerly volunteered to do my part and drafted a short story for the project.  My tale is entitled, 'The Beauty of Ugh.'

Now it's time for you to do your part.  Purchase a copy of the book and help a children's charity.  And thank you in advance for doing a small part to support these young children with special needs and learning disabilities.  "I Am Not Frazzle and Other Stories for Grownups" is available in e-book and paperback formats; click the links below.  

UK:  "I Am Not Frazzle and Other Stories for Grownups"

USA:  "I Am Not Frazzle and Other Stories for Grownups"

For a limited time, this book is priced at only $1.65/ 98p on Amazon.  

Contributing authors include: 

Nancy Brooks

James Penhaligon

Richelle E Goodrich

Holly M Kothe

Graham Downs

Paul Howard

Cecily Magnon

David Darby 

Darren Worrow

For more info:www.iamnotfrazzle.webs.com  

Fun Rules for Writers

Writing is an odyssey.    

For some it is a pleasurable wandering.

For others it is an arduous and deliberate trek.  

The writing process often develops into a longer, more serious quest than intended, but the end results can be highly rewarding.

In any case, it helps to seek out ways to improve performance and in the process lighten the pressures and anxieties commonly associated with the conditions of writing.  And if a little cheerful relief comes from establishing a few fun and clever guidelines for the trade, then all the more reason to smile and read on....

I believe those addicted to the pen can relate to my following rules for writing:  

#1 - Don't listen to anyone but the voices in your head.  

       They know how the story is supposed to go.

#2 - If a word you need doesn't exist, make it up.  Readers will intuit what it means; most won't realize it's not a real word.  

       Some examples I've personally penned: 

       chameleonesque, selfishism, hobbitish, stompled, unwakeable, unicorned.

#3 - Following two-thousand literary agents on Twitter will result in none of them following you.

#4 - A few very terrible words that writers should never really use to live a suddenly awesome happily ever after.

• very
• really
• suddenly
• that
• awesome
• amazing
• terrible
• deadline
• sequel
• once upon a time
• happily ever after
• a dark and stormy night
• as soon as I finish this
• plagiarized

#5 - Accept that you are mental.  There is evidence that this is true.

• You chose to be a writer of your own free will.
• You make up bizarre worlds inhabited by extraordinary creatures who face unrealistic odds and challenges daily (if not hourly) the whole while engaged in clever character banter.  
• The before-mentioned worlds live and breathe in your head, abusing an excessive amount of plot twists.......even when you're not writing. 
• People constantly look at you funny, wondering how your brain works.

#6 - Memorize these responses.  Recite them as needed.

• I thought deadlines were fictional—like a death curse conjured up by the god of the underworld.
• It's a story.  It's not real.  (Make sure to cross your fingers when you say this.)
• I would love to donate a piece for free, but then the characters in my head might start screaming that I'm neglecting them, and I can't afford medication for the migraines.
• No, I am not just staring at a blank screen.  It's called exercising your mental muscle before the marathon. 
• The almighty agent forced me *at sword point* to edit that part.
• You wouldn't understand; you're not a writer.

#7 - Never comment on negative reviews (without first logging out and then logging in under your super secret identity.)

#8 - Always jot down inspiration the moment you have it.  This is a must!  Like a bolt of lightning, a muse moment will flash brilliant and then be gone.....for~ev~er.

Here are common articles you can write with when normal note-taking devices are unavailable:  

• crayons, paint, coal, ashes, condiments in squirt bottles, dark juice or jello (and a paint brush), melted chocolate, frosting, blood

Here are articles that can be used as parchment in a pinch:

• napkins, toilet paper, newspapers, business cards, menus, a child's coloring book (she doesn't need it as much as you), candy wrappers, tortillas, bread slices, an arm, a hand, a leg, a sleeve, eyeglass lenses, book jackets, the back of your date's shirt.

#9 - Publishers, editors, agents, filmmakers, readers, and other writers are not your best friends.  Your best friends live in your head.  Everyone else is out to get you.


#10 - Write about what you know—otherwise look it up on the internet.

#11 - Construct personality-trait outlines for every character in your book.  Include descriptions of  style and appearance, mannerisms, frequently uttered expressions, and individual tics or quirks.  Ask friends and family members to behave like these characters for the purpose of establishing realism.  Call it research.


#12 - If everyone but you esteems your written work as excellent, it is not a success.  If no one but you esteems your written work as excellent, it is not a success.  If characters from your book ask you to read the finished work over and over again, applauding after each reading, consider it a success.  


#13 - Every rule for writing adhered to by outstanding authors has a completely opposite rule supported by equally outstanding authors.  (To deal with this, refer to rule #1.)

10 Helps for Achieving Your Goals

We all desire to become more than we are.  
We dream of reaching higher pinnacles, achieving greater success, experiencing the thrill of accomplishment.  And so we set goals, having perfect intentions of sacrificing whatever it takes to reach them.  The truth is, setting goals is the easy part; however, paying the day to day tolls necessary to see them realized can prove trying and discouraging.  To help make the journey less daunting, I've outlined ten points of advice combined with a few original quotes―motivation for anyone up to the challenge of chasing their dreams.

#1.  Take on less.
          In the case of accomplishing any task, less is best.  If you're serious about reaching a goal, a single objective needs to be your focus.  Pick only one (maybe two) and keep it at the forefront of your mind.  Once you attain your goal, then start another!

"Just pick a goal and stick to it―no big complicated secret." 
~Richelle E. Goodrich 

#2.  Post your goal(s).
          Write down specifically what it is you want to accomplish and then display it in a spot where you will see and read it everyday―perhaps on the bathroom mirror or on the refrigerator door or above your computer monitor.  This posted note is a visual reminder of where your thoughts and energies should be concentrated.  'Out of sight, out of mind', they say; whereas...

"In constant view keeps mightily true an honest resolve to do."  
~Richelle E. Goodrich 

#3.  Ask for help.
          You have multiple resources for support, advice, and assistance at your disposal; take advantage of them!  First of all, research the subject.  Use the internet, libraries, chat groups, and forums to hunt down helpful hints as to how to accomplish the set goal.  Secondly, talk to friends and family and request their support and encouragement.  And third, don't forget to pray.  Asking for divine guidance and assistance―believing that there are powers outside your sight and understanding that can and will help you―provides added strength and confidence.

"Prayer, faith, and vision, plus real effort too. Blend them together for one potent brew; the magical spell to your dreams coming true."   
~Richelle E. Goodrich 

#4.  Step forward daily.
          Vow to do something―anything―everyday to get you closer to reaching your goal.  If time is short, your schedule insanely busy, don't allow it to prevent you from moving forward with your aspirations.  Write at least one sentence in your journal.  Jog in place for sixty seconds.  Make a quick phone call.  Read one page of that book.  Sketch a line on that masterpiece in progress.  Get the picture?  You don't have to make bounds and leaps each and every day, but you do have to move forward, even an inch at a time.  You must do SOMETHING daily because... 

"Doing nothing accomplishes nothing, gains nothing, changes nothing, and wins nothing. You have to make a move."   
~Richelle E. Goodrich 

#5.  Make seconds count.
          Yes, I know, life is busy.  It is.  For all of us.  And yet it seems that the busiest people find ways to accomplish more than those who possess the time to do things.  Therefore, don't be lazy; use rather than waste those precious scraps of time.  It takes only seconds to write an additional sentence in a developing novel.  In just a minute you could fit in a set of push ups.  A phone call could be made while walking to the mailbox and back.  Find ways to use those small chunks of time, and you'll be astounded at how quickly a-bit-here and a-bit-there adds up!

"An accumulation of pennies is a fortune.  Day-to-day practice is perfection.  A dream realized is nothing more than many steps taken toward the borders of once-impossible."  
~Richelle E. Goodrich 

#6.  Accept failures as stepping stones.
          The difference between people who succeed and those who don't is largely their understanding of the process.  Success isn't entirely constructed of a bunch of minor successes.  The truth is, success normally includes many little failures.  Learn from those flops and bungles.  Don't allow them to discourage or defeat you.  Stop seeing failed attempts as brick walls barring your progress.  Instead, view them as stepping stones on the road to ultimate success.

"The key to success is having no qualms about failure."   
~Richelle E. Goodrich 

#7.  Focus on the Goal
          One of the greatest enemies of success is distraction.  Life requires your attention, pulling you in diverse directions.  And in order to be a responsible individual you must attend to those various demands.  Often, though, this allows personal goals to be shoved aside, eventually pushed to the rear where ambitions dwindle until entirely snuffed out, forgotten.  The next New Year's Eve then finds you reflecting over past resolutions, regretting lost opportunities.  In order to achieve a desired goal it must remain in your constant focus.  That doesn't mean making it a priority over imperative issues, but it does mean giving it daily thought and attention.   

“Goals are my north star.  My compass.  The map that guides me along the road I wish to travel.  Goals are motivations with wind in their sails—they carry me forward despite the storms.”    ~Richelle E. Goodrich 

#8.  Don't envy.
          Get out of the destructive habit of comparing yourself to others.  You are you.  You will travel your own road to success, and the journey will be uniquely yours.  The best way to avoid discouragement, disappointment, and loss of confidence is to never compare yourself to anyone else.  Look only at how far you've come from where you started out.  Chart your improvement day-by-day, week-by-week, month-by-month.  So what if so-and-so runs a mile in 5 minutes?  That's none of your concern.  The fact that you performed better today than yesterday is what counts.  The only reason to spend valuable time looking at others' accomplishments is to learn from them.  Learn, then move on. Celebrate when others succeed as you will when you succeed.  Don't succumb to envy!

"The only ship you can steer in this ocean is the one you're sailing."   
~Richelle E. Goodrich 

#9.  Believe in yourself.
          You can do it.  This is true, period.  Don't wait for someone to tell you you're good enough.  Don't wait for outside assurances.  Don't listen to the critics or so-called experts.  This is about you―your goal, your dream.  You can do it.

"What do you mean I have to wait for someone's approval?  I'm someone.  I approve.  So I give myself permission to move forward with my full support!"   
~Richelle E. Goodrich 

#10.  Never, ever, ever give up.
          Understand right here and now that quitting is not an option.
          It's not.
          Don't even think about it.

"Don't ever give up.  Don't ever give in.  Don't ever stop trying.  Don't ever sell out. And if you find yourself succumbing to one of the above for a brief moment, pick yourself up, brush yourself off, whisper a prayer, and start where you left off.  But never, ever, ever give up."   
~Richelle E. Goodrich 

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#richelle #goals #resolutions #newyear