#FreshStart - Adite Banerjie

It’s the beginning of a whole new year; what time could possibly be better to become more motivated and inspired? You have a whole 365 days ahead of you, and now is the time to start making them count, so we're asking authors what they've got planned for the year ahead!

Adite Banerjie urges us to find balance in our lives for the year ahead as she talks about her journey to becoming a self-published author.

It's All About Balance

The year-end festivities, good cheer and bonhomie make you believe that Santa does exist and he can magically make all your dreams come true including sticking with your New Year resolutions. (Perhaps, I’m a little delusional but do cut me some slack—I’m a die-hard romantic who writes romance!). Seriously though, for the first couple of months into the new year, I do strive to achieve some of my goals and hope that I won’t lose focus, or can sustain the initial enthusiasm and energy to go after them in a dogged fashion. But more often than not, life throws a curve ball at you, upending all your good intentions, as well as plans.

2018 will forever be etched as a year that was memorable for all the wrong/right reasons. Reminds me of that famous opening line: "It was the best of times, it was the worst of times". What worked out was that I finally stepped up and achieved my goal of becoming a self-published author. I had three releases during the year—one of which was a brand new title, while the other two were refurbished versions of my previously traditionally-published titles.

In hindsight, it seems as if the realisation of my goal happened despite the challenges and the obstacles. There’s nothing like a health scare to reset your priorities in life. Making health-related lifestyle changes gained top billing in my ‘goals’ list while writing took a backseat. It was a humbling experience that made me realise the significance of attaining work-life balance.

So, in 2019, I propose to look at my writing goals not so much as a target to be achieved within a strict time-frame, but to keep it more fluid so I don’t neglect other aspects of my life. I’m looking at more holistic goal-setting, if you will. Balancing writing with skills like pitching and presentation which I totally suck at! My screenwriting has suffered lately only because I have diligently avoided stepping out of my comfort zone. That is one area that needs a massive course correction in 2019. Taking the baby steps to achieve the mindset of an author-preneur is another medium-to-long term goal I’m looking at. A balanced approach is what I feel will be sustainable in the long run too.

Here’s wishing all of you a wonderful 2019 where you achieve your dreams even while maintaining that much needed work-life balance.

Adite's latest release, Wedding Shenanigans, is out now. For more information about her and her writing, check out her website, and follow her on Facebook and Twitter.