Congratulations

Congratulations messages, written for 2 different relationships

A congratulations message is a witness statement. Someone did a hard thing, and you are confirming that you saw the effort as well as the result.

The people who matter most to the person usually saw the long middle part, and that is exactly the part an announcement leaves out.

What actually makes a congratulations message land

Name the specific achievement in its own words rather than the general category of success.

Mention one piece of effort you actually watched: the late nights, the second attempt, the thing they kept doing when nobody was asking.

Close with confidence about what comes next, not advice about how to handle it.

Who you are writing to changes the message more than the occasion does. Each page below is written for one relationship.

Send it within a day or two of hearing the news. Congratulations lose force quickly once everyone else has already said it.
Keep comparison out of it entirely, including flattering comparison to yourself or to other people who did the same thing.
If the achievement came after a setback, you can acknowledge the setback in one clause, then move on to the win.

What should you write in a congratulations message?: Name the specific achievement in its own words rather than the general category of success. Mention one piece of effort you actually watched: the late nights, the second attempt, the thing they kept doing when nobody was asking.
How long should a congratulations message be?: Two to four sentences: the exact achievement, one detail of the effort you saw, and a plain line of confidence about what comes next.
When should you send a congratulations message?: Send it within a day or two of hearing the news. Congratulations lose force quickly once everyone else has already said it.

Say it as something they open

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