The mid-year check in.

No, I'm not talking about your reading goals.

I need to get something off my chest.

This year has been overwhelming AF.

My childhood friend said something to me once that has recently been on my mind: you can have everything you want, but you can’t have it at the same time.

I hate that saying. Because why not? Why can’t I have it all at the same time? What if I work really hard, and I do whatever it takes to be a good person, and be honest and generous and compassionate?

The simple answer is life is unfair. And the older I get, the more I begin to believe my childhood friend.

In 2022, I wanted to work full time in Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. I wanted to work full time as a writer. I wanted to work on my health, and teach a full slate of classes, and be a student advisor, and spend time with family, and connect with my readers. I also hoped to build better relationships with my friends, and have a happy, healthy, whole family.

And great things have happened! In my writing career alone, DATING DR. DIL has been listed as one of the best romances of 2022 (so far) by Goodreads and Amazon. It was reviewed in the New York Times Book Review , The Washington Post and Entertainment Weekly. And I announced my next young adult romance which is a paranormal fantasy inspired by Buffy the Vampire Slayer!

The reality is that I am spread thin as hell. I’m not as healthy as I want (need) to be, and my grandma’s sick, but I’m barely able to see her. My friend groups are changing in a way that makes me sad, and I am terrified of my next draft because the rest of my life is draining my creative energy.

I can have everything I want, but I can’t do it at the same time.

I have this mid-year check up list in my Notes App that I’ve saved for a moment like this. I want to really examine all the things I’ve committed to, and what I’ve managed to accomplish. My hope is that I can reduce my priorities so I can focus on doing a few things at a time versus everything.

I’m doing this because I’ve realized that there is no point in having everything you want at the same time if you can’t enjoy it because you’re too tired, stressed or sick to do so.

And I want to share this check up list with all of you.

In case you’re in the same boat as I am, pour a beverage of your choice, grab your writing supplies, and let’s do this together. The list looks short, but it’s going to take some time to reflect and really put some thought in our answers.

Ready? Here we go.

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R E T R O

• What did I do during 1H (the first half of the year) that was a unique experience?

• What went well 1H? 

• What went wrong 1H? 

• What behavior changes am I proud of? 

• What behavior changes do I have to work on? 

• Did I accomplish any of my 2022 Goals?

B R A I N   D U M P 

• What are my big events in 2H (the second half of the year)? 

• What are my family obligations for 2H?

• What do I have planned for myself in 2H?

• What do my finances look like for 2H? 

• What does my health look like? 

• What are my career commitments for 2H?

• What am I excited about? 

• What is no longer relevant that I can de-prioritize?

N E X T   S T E P S

• Check Google Calendar and write down a list of all the events that I have already committed to. Do they all further my commitments to myself, my family and my future?

• Highlight career, self, relationship, money and health goals in different colors. Do I have an equal distribution of initiatives for all five goals? Do I have enough initiatives to accomplish my goals?

• For any project /task related items for the rest of the year, prioritize self and health first.

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And that is my exercise! I plan on finishing it by July 1st, and I’m going to seriously examine my commitments for the rest of the year.

Thank you for all the love for the last six months (years). I wouldn’t have opportunity if it wasn’t for your love and support. I hope to see you at some point during the next six months at one of my events (listed on my website). I’ll be virtual and in person up until the holidays.

Because you’ve gotten me through this super overwhelming time, I’m going to share a draft of a chapter from a WIP with all of you. Now this probably won’t make it into the book because I’m starting the novel in a different place, and it’s VERY rough and dirty, but I love these two characters, and this is the very moment they met.

Happy mid-year, readers. Let’s take a breath and slow our roll for a while.

Hugs and cheers,

Nisha

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(Draft chapter from The Rival Partnership: © 2022 Nisha Sharma, not available for distribution)

Prologue

Twelve Years Ago

Sahar Ali Khan sat on the far-left side of the lecture hall, four rows from the front. Finally. Her first computer science class at MIT. She belonged here. As a first-generation Pakistani American woman in a room full of men, she knew that eyes were on her, and she was determined to succeed.

 A flutter of laughter came from the back of the room, and Sahar twisted in her seat to see who made the sound. 

It was the South Asian students. They huddled together, talking in whispers, holding their expensive bookbags at an angle to make sure everyone else saw them. Sahar sunk lower in her seat. Granted, she was South Asian, too, but she was pretty sure that they didn’t want to hang out with her. 

Besides. She didn’t have time for friendship, and she didn’t have time for romance. She was on a mission to be great. To be the best. To take the tech industry by storm. 

A cheer came from the back of the room again, and one of the Indian kids yelled “Zail Singh! The prodigal son has arrived!” 

Sahar watched, almost like the scene was playing out on a movie screen, as he walked into the lecture hall. This wasn’t an eighteen-year-old boy. No, he was a man at more than six feet and towered over every person around them. He wore a button-down flannel shirt, that was rolled up his forearms and exposed a silver kara on his wrist. His hair was so long that he put it in a man bun, and unlike most people their age, he already had a full beard. 

Zail Singh. 

This was the youngest son of Deepak Singh, the greatest South Asian innovator in the United States. Zail Singh was tech royalty, and he was in her class.

Zail paused in front of the room, waved at the group in the back, and to Sahar’s complete shock and surprise, he scanned the lecture hall, and locked eyes with her. 

Oh my god. 

He crossed the front of the room until he reached her side and took the stairs two at a time. He was huge at a distance, and even bigger, larger than life, when he squeezed into the chair next to her. 

“Hi,” he said. His voice deep and gruff. “I’m Zail Singh.”

“I know,” Sahar said. “I think you’re sitting in the wrong spot.” 

His eyebrows v-ed. “Is this seat taken?” 

“No, but shouldn’t you be in the back?” she said. She tilted her head to the Desi students who were staring at them with jaws dropped. “It looks like your friends were expecting you to join them.” 

Zail turned to look at the direction she’d pointed. “Those guys? I met them at orientation this weekend. Some of them live on my dorm floor. I wouldn’t exactly call them friends yet.” 

“Neither are we. Friends that is. I mean, I know who you are. Everyone in STEM knows who you are. Or your family, anyway. But you don’t know who I am.” 

“Sahar, right?” 

“How did you—”

“I saw you. At orientation. You dominated the trivia contest. Knew all the computer science history categories. I was going to jump in round two, but I didn’t want to go up against you.” 

Sahar was pretty sure that trivia contest was the moment she made enemies.

It didn’t bother her, though. Much. Now she had to wonder if Zail Singh was trying to keep his enemies closer, so to speak. 

“Are you only trying to be friends with me because I’m smart?” she blurted out. 

Zail grinned at her, his perfect smile framed by his trimmed beard. “Yes. And because you’re pretty.” 

Her face felt like it was on fire. She slumped in her seat and turned on her tablet that she’d put in the tiny fold out desk in front of her.

Zail held out a hand to shake. “Let’s start again. Hi. I’m Zail Singh. I saw you at orientation, and it’s obvious you’re here because you’re here because you deserve to be here. I could really use a reliable, smart study partner. I promise I pull my weight. I have a lot riding on this, too. Are you interested?” 

Sahar looked down at his hand and then back at his face. “Really? That’s all you want?” 

Zail nodded, then with his other hand made a cross over his heart. “I have shoes to fill and zero time for distractions.” 

Sahar considered it for a moment, then said “You have to promise me one thing.”

“What’s that?” 

“We just work together. No flirting, no romance, nothing. And most importantly, you can’t fall in love with me over my code.” 

Zail’s gaze was piercing as he focused on her face. He didn’t laugh the way she hoped he would. “Okay. I promise.” 

Sahar let out a breath, then placed her small hand in his for a shake. “Sahar Ali Khan. Nice to meet you, study partner.”