Ah yes. It’s that time of year when many of us start to consider what we really want and then set about the tasks required to achieve some meaningful goals. After reflecting on what matters most in this New Year, I suspect I’m really not all that different from many when it comes to spending time on the Internet. I mean, let’s face it. Social media can be both a blessing and a distraction.
Some of you may have noticed I’ve taken some time away from my various social media accounts, which has allowed me to focus on the people in my life who matter most. Needless to say, my daughter and husband sit at the top of this list. My daughter has a fabulous sense of humor, and for the life of me, I’m not sure how I lucked out when the man I married twenty-five years ago approached me with a hilarious opening line – one which we still laugh about to this very day. The point I’m trying to make is how important I’ve discovered it is for me to have a balanced approach to social media. Ironically, my A-Ha! moment occurred while a couple of events happened in our lives – one positive, and the other not so much.
Let’s just dive in and get the bad stuff out of the way first. As we all know, many folks no longer feel secure in their jobs, and unfortunately, this issue has once again surfaced for my family. Still, despite all of this unpleasantness, I can honestly say that while we’re not completely sure what the future may hold, my husband, daughter, and I have grown closer.
Also during this time, it just so happened that I was led to a potential publishing opportunity, which I’m still mulling over. (Let’s face it, traditional vs. Indie publishing isn’t such a clear cut decision these days.) And even though the publishing aspect is still undecided, I’m happy to report that by simply focusing on a few key things, I’m feeling a lot better about whatever tomorrow may bring.
Of course, since I tend to be rather introspective, the murky part in all of this lies in returning to social media. The reason for this is because I believe it’s important for me to continue focusing on my spiritual growth while also making a point to spend quality time with my family and friends. Additionally, as a writer, there’s the writing itself, not to mention, the myriad of tasks which must be attended to on a daily basis. I suspect many of you face similar challenges, and I freely admit I’m still grappling with this important life skill. The good news is that I do believe I’m finally arriving at a middle ground – a place which makes sense both personally and professionally. So today, I’m very happy to reconnect with my social media pals. Please know I’d love to hear from you and here’s to wishing each and every one of you a beautiful New Year.
Happy writing (and reading!),
Danica
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Danica Cornell is the pen name of Donna Marie Manobianco. To learn more about Danica and her adorable dachshund, Hugo, as well as her forthcoming DARK STAR sci-fi/fantasy series, please visit http://www.danicacornell.com.
Blog of Author Danica Cornell 
Great to have you back, Danica 🙂 I’ve come to miss your posts and ‘seeing you’ around Twitter and FB but I do appreciate that family life is way more important and if it took that to concentrate on your loved ones for a while, I am pleased for you. Of course I can relate. My husband and also my retired parents (who live next door) claim my time daily, no matter how supportive they may be. Email and social media used to take up a big chunk of my day so I had to reduce the time spent there a few months back and it helped a lot. I can’t recall the last time I checked my FB timeline although I check my notifications almost daily. Email is a tougher nut to crack but I learnt not to mind leaving the emails pile up for a few days. There is no other way to do it, if you want to be there for your family, keep the house in (a relatively!) good order AND find time to write. I wish you all the best in finding a good balance this year, and also best of luck with that trad publishing prospect 🙂
Hi Fros! Thanks sweetie. Yes, it did take some time away to get things back on track. Despite everything that’s going on, I feel like it’s going to be a happy year. As always, it’s so lovely hearing from you…thanks again! xoxo 🙂