Take some time to weigh and measure your options. Decide, based on your skill set, preferences, and practical information like barriers to entry, potential income ceilings, which kinds of work suit you best, and — this is really important, especially when it comes to writing — whether that type of work will make it easier to pursue other projects down the line. Then, prioritize your direction on that basis. You can always change your mind, but the most important thing is to make a choice.

Persistence is key. 

Everyone from YouTuber Ali Abdaal, who made 4.7 million dollars last year after 7 years of building his content creation business, or Nobel Prize winner Toni Morrison, who didn’t publish her first novel until she was 39, says the same thing: to be successful, you’ve got to stick with it. Not for a few weeks, not for a few months, but for years, maybe even decades.

Once you choose which path you’re going to take, commit to it for as long as it takes

This is closely tied to number two. The only way to achieve your goals is through persistence and the only way to persist is through self-belief. You must believe that you can do what you set out to, against all odds.

Writers are subject to so much imposter syndrome. Anyone can call themselves a writer, and no one really knows what a solid career is supposed to look like, so who’s to say your work is legitimate, especially when you’re just starting out.