10 Survival Tips for Writers Watching All Their Friends and Idols Succeed

1. Think of how hard they must have worked and how long they waited to earn that success. They’re probably not flaunting it to be mean, they’re just excited! You’d be too. You will.

2. Have a list of goals that you can easily and quickly reach for and review whenever you get discouraged. Sometimes that reminder that you’re “going places” is all you need to keep your head up.

3. Come up with a mantra you can say out loud in moments you feel “left behind.” Something as simple as “It’s their turn now. Mine’s coming soon.”

4. Don’t pretend to be happy for someone. Be genuinely happy for them and celebrate with them, and deal with your feelings of disappointment/despair/jealousy on your own time in your own private space.

5. On that note: Feel your feelings. Don’t be ashamed of them. If you’re jealous, be jealous. Just don’t take your feelings out on someone who is celebrating, that’s not fair and you wouldn’t want someone to do that to you.

6. Remember that you don’t have to follow someone else’s ‘success timeline.’ You will find success at your own pace along your own unique sequence of events and circumstances. Your journey is yours.

7. Is your immediate reaction to someone else’s success “I wish I could do that?” Take some time to sit down and honestly ask yourself what you would need to do to turn that wish into a success of your own.

8. Don’t forget to celebrate your own small wins! Wrote 300 words today? SHOUT ABOUT IT! You don’t have to publish a book before you can celebrate your writing accomplishments. Side note, I wrote this blog post today even though I didn’t want to and I’m super proud of it. See? Easy.

9. Lift up the writers in your life who are succeeding as well as those you haven’t heard from in a while. It’s not just the successful ones who have been working hard behind-the-screens. Remember: One of the best ways to heal your own sorrow is to do what you can to make someone else feel better.

10. Remember your “why.” Review it often. There is a reason you write. If you keep holding onto that, it will help you continue on with your day to day tasks as you get closer to whatever success means for you.

Meg is the creator of Novelty Revisions, dedicated to helping writers put their ideas into words. She is an editor and writer, and a 12-time NaNoWriMo winner. Follow Meg on Twitter for tweets about writing, food, and Star Wars.