Mantras are good. These are helpful phrases I repeat to myself before and during my writing sessions. One of the most powerful is one I learned from Alice Sebold in a speech she gave soon after her terrific book The Lovely Bones was published. Tell yourself, she said, "You have all the time in the world." I often feel defeated by time, thinking I have to finish something quickly in order to "produce". This mantra calms me down, slows me down, and helps me enjoy the process. Stay tuned for others...