Jenny Han has been a successful writer for years: She wrote her first novel, "Shug," while earning her master's degree in creative writing at The New School in 2006. She became a New York Times best-selling author with her "The Summer I Turned Pretty" young adult trilogy, which published from 2009 to 2011.
But Han's work in the past two years especially has catapulted her into the public eye, thanks to the 2018 Netflix adaptation of her book "To All the Boys I've Loved Before," the first of a three-part series. The movie, about Korean-American teenager Lara Jean Song Covey and her childhood crushes, became one of the streaming giant's most-watched original productions and has been credited with helping revive the romantic comedy genre.
But given the mounting pressure of attending press events and other public commitments, Han, a former children's librarian, says she's developed a three-question metric to help her make big decisions, prioritize her time and keep her life in balance.
"I would ask myself three questions: Is it fun? Is it easy? Is it really worth it? You'll be amazed at how easily you can work things out if you ask those questions," she told Elle magazine in a recent interview.
Han applied similar logic in her decision to make "To All the Boys" a trilogy at all.
The novelist previously said she considered 2014's "To All the Boys" and its 2015 sequel "P.S. I Still Love You" as "two halves of a heart." Her feelings changed in 2016 when, while working on a new project and also feeling the effects of a contentious U.S. presidential election cycle, she felt compelled to revisit fun, familiar territory.
"I was working on something else, and I had been working on it for several years, and it really just wasn't coming to me as easily as I'd hoped. I just hadn't figured out how to unlock the key to it," Han told Bustle in a 2017 interview. "So I just saw myself feeling really nostalgic about Lara Jean."
In the final "Always and Forever, Lara Jean," Han dedicates a large portion of the book to the protagonist's own decision-making journey: navigating the college admissions process.
It was around the third book's release that production began for the film adaptation of "To All the Boys." While the novel had been optioned for a film in summer of 2014, Han says it was a long and challenging road to ensure the production reflected her original vision.
In the end, she partnered with Overbrook Entertainment, the only company willing to back an Asian-American star.
"With Asian-Americans actors, specifically, there's been fewer opportunities for them in TV and film, and fewer that have the ability to actually make a career out of it," Han told Teen Vogue in a 2018 interview about why she was unwilling to compromise on the casting choice.
Han personally cast actor Lana Condor as the lead after seeing the breakout star's performance in 2016's "X-Men: Apocalypse;" the two have since become close friends.
The author is in good company of successful people who value finding the fun in pursuing their goals.
"Fun is one of the most important — and underrated — ingredients in any successful venture," billionaire businessman Richard Branson wrote in his book, "The Virgin Way: Everything I Know About Leadership." The Virgin Group founder is known for a work hard, play hard mentality and provides opportunities for his employees adopt their own approach to work-life balance.
"If you're not having fun, then it's probably time to call it quits and try something else."
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