This is step 3 in a 4 part series i’m doing all on building a foundation for your offline presence.  

Building your offline presence we’re taking about your presence in your hobbies and interests. 

I’m doing this series all about building your offline presence because my offline presence has been the thing that’s helped me stay offline for nearly 9 years now. I’ve been able to build my life in a way that’s fulfilling offline where i don’t need social media to fulfill any social or personal needs for me. And if you’re listening you’re most likely someone who’s interested or has already taken the leap offline- so this is the perfect series for you to give you new perspective on life offline and how you can build your presence offline in a way that’s fulfilling for you in your life and hopefully help you in your pursuit toward embracing life offline.

If you didn’t catch last weeks episode I went over the first aspect that you’ll want to make sure to start building with before anything else so i’ll leave a link in the show notes to this episode.  

I also want to invite you to join my free community “offline- the community” where you can finally connect with people who share the common goal of living life offline and all the struggles and wins that come along the journey.  You can join us HERE!

Now let’s get right into aspect #3 to growing your offline presence. 

Step 3: Presence in your hobbies & interests

Your presence in your hobbies and interests. 

Why is this important? Why is this an important presence? This is important because when people wan to leave social media theres always in myriad of doubts and questions and fears that come up with the thought of doing so.  

Why is this important?

A major one of these questions and concerns is: What will I do with my time if im not on social media? Some people are spendin hours a day on social which adds up to a month or more a year! THa’s nuts thats a lot of time so yes what are you going to do with your newfound time offline? 

I’ll give you a suggestion that will be life changing for you. Spend that time in your interests and your hobbies and i hear an objection coming up to that saying well0 im at work i cant just peace out for an hour and go play pickleball or whip out my shovel and start potting plants at my desk.  Okay yes, you;’re right. But here’s what i’ll say.  

Have you ever heard yourself say “oh i wish i had more time for that” Oh if just had more time.  Odds are you can make the time. You might have to sacrifice your show at the end of the day but if it means you’re going to do something thats fulfilling to you/ thats worth it for this season. 

Here’s another thing about presence in your hobbies and interests.  If you’re choosing to make the time for your hobbies and interests- you’re in my mind practicing a form of self care.  I believe that because that’s been my experience.  

How I spent my time after leaving social

Not long after leaving social media i was spending all of my extra time and energy into learning how to start a business, i’m not kidding i would have an idea for something i wanted to create and i would hit the ground running trying ot learn all i could about it doing research, building a website, ordering samples of certain products because way way back one of the things i wanted to start was a subscription box- so spent a few years dabbling in ideas dipping my toes into these businesses that i thought i wanted to start and i would do this while i was at work i worked on a computer so I would be doing research when i had pockets of time between making calls or if im being totally honest when i should have been making calls.  So take some of  my coworkers for example. They would be on social media between calls, they would be discussing what they were seeing on social media, then going back about their work. 

So I noticed during that time I was able to get a lot done, learn a TON, and also through all of that i was able to figure out that all these businesses that i was attempting weren’t feeling right. I was having fun learning and being creative but everything i was trying to do didn’t feel quite right. Didn’t feel like this is it. 

The point

And the rest of that story is for another time- but my point in sharing this is that once yo’re not on social media- you will notice that you have pockets of time even if its 5 minutes here 30 minutes there- where you can choose to be more intentional about your time. 

You can choose to pull out your notes and write, or jot down ideas for you to revisit later. You can do some research on your interests and your hobbies you can start from scratch and start a list of things that you’re never tried but want to because you might be interested in it.  

You can do absolutely nothing and make sitting in silence a new interest and learning to get comfortable with yourself etc. 

Proof from others that this works!

In my free community offline- there are friends i there who have been shared their experiences offline    I wanted to share a few that drive this point that we’re talking about today- home.  

1. CJ said: Been on and off social media for months but it’s been morethan a week that I decided to deactivate my Facebook and messenger. And I’m loving it! Been reading on my kindle everyday. Started sketching yesterday and I’ve been working out 3x a week for a month now ☺️ and also started journaling for 2 days!
2. B said: after 1 year away from social media. my life dramatically improved. im just shocked how much more free time i have outside of work/workout sessions. everyone would benefit from being offline for a short period to understand how social media drains us in many ways.
3. Shii said: I deleted all socials from my phone (as a business) and took up pottery. I’m a horticulturist, so I thought it would be the perfect compliment to plants. 🪴✨ It ended up being the perfect compliment to my life.This is one of the best possible hobbies I have taken up for many reasons, too many to go on about here… but these really helped with the transition of letting the socials go..and she went on to beautifuly tell us the amazing ways pottery has helped her slow down, regain focus, be creative–and she closed her post with this:  The joy of making unique things with my hands, and the blissful feeling of receiving a beautiful finished piece from the kiln trumps any feeling I’ve ever felt online.💭 I think the overall message here, is that whenever we want to change something in our lives, we have the best chance at doing that when we have chosen something better to replace it.

Arent’ these stories and truths inspiring? This isn’t just something i’m making up! Look at these amazing people also out there living their lives or working toward living offline.  The things that they’re doing, the hobbies the interests that their now spending their time in? It’s a side effect to being offline if you choose to get active in your life! It’s so beautiful it just lights me up to see and hear about people taking their lives back into their hands and starting to LIVE more. 

Shii said something I wanted to emphasize. She said : whenever we want to change something in our lives we have the best chance at doing that when we have chosen something better to replace it. “ 

I think she’s right. And if you’ve said to yourself idk what to fill my time with instead of social media/ this third aspect of building an offline presence, your presence in your hobbies and interests is especially important for you. 

Why this one is hard for me

Okay in the last episode i mentioned how this specific aspect of growing an offline presence in my hobbis and interests has been one that i’ve struggled with recently.  After having my first daughter I stopped spending as  much time doing this work that i love somiuch. Which makes sense to a point- but i wanst choosing to carve out time or spend naps doing things that lit me up or interested me, i would take a nap which was also so needed at certain times, or  I would clean my house during that time while she was asleep or do some more laundry. And while these are all good things. I figured out after having my second daughter that i really needed to prioritize my hobbies and interests this presence in this area was lacking and i could feel it! I knew i needed it because its part of what keeps me feeling like an individual while simultaneously being mom too.  So instead of cleaning while the girls sleep i write out a video, or edit my podcast, or work on a chapter of my book- i still value a clean home and having clothes clean to wear, but i don’t use up all my free time making sure the counter doesnt have any crumbs or theres no yogurt smeared on the bar stools.  I’m letting things goa  bit letting them wait til later in the day or having my daughter help me when shes awake- and using the free time i do have to fill my cup.  ANd its made all the difference. 

I’m really working hard to be build up this presence in my life and it’s giving back to me and filling me up more than i actually expected! 

Some people might say, well Carly thats not a hobby that’s work. But its not work actually it is a hobby i do this for free no ones making me i actively choose to do this and have for 6 years because it fulfills me its my hobby! I love it!

I get to have an impact and enjoy myself and try to figure out how to help more people? And i get to be creative and write and just make this whatever I can dream it up to be? Thats so fun! 

So i’ve allowed myself to have this as a hobby in this season and that okay! It’s also winter so i’m not spening a whole lot of time outside yet but when i can, walking every moring with my girls is a hobby i have i love that form of exercise a good power walk and maybe jog for a few hundred meters haha butu thats a hobby i enjoy!

It’s been a struggle to maintain my individuality with having kids cause i’m still Carly, butI’m also mom and mom is so much of what I am that it’s been necessary for me let myself have this creative outlet to share a mission that has highly impacted my life and i know it can others.  Its helped me a ton. 

And for you, that might look like going to the movies once a week with a friend. That might mean, making a new recipe every week that you’ve been dying to try, that might mean anything! 

How you can build your presence in this area

So how do you go about building an offline presence with your hobbies and interests? 

1. First Identify what they are and if you don’t know, this is a great chance to think about what you’re interested in what do you want to learn about what do you enjoy doing and want to do more of?
2. Then once you know what you want to do or learn Intentionally make time & be open to exploring new things that coule be a better fit for your season of life. -this can be hard but its alsoj helpful to not keep you stuck thinking oh well i cant do that anymore because this..instead being i chose to do this so that is a littel more difficult at this time but i’ll be able to find what will work in this season and still try to do that as much as possible! 

Spend time working on this presence with your hobbies and interests. Replace the time you’re spending online with these things and I know you’ll feel better more productive more fulfilled! I have no doubt. 

Like I said before i believe it’s a form of self care to make time for enjoyment and for creativity. 

I truly believe that and with that being said my challenge for you to take into action today is to do something fun and creative! , go grocery shop fir the ingredients to make a new delicious meal at home, get a canvas and start painting if you’re interested in that- do something creative that entertains your hobbies or interests. And have fun! Go take a hot toga class and do something new! 

Dabble In a new interest and see how if feels and either do more of that think if it felt good or try something new next time until you find something that stick and fills you up! 

I hope you choose to start investing your valuable time in your interests and hobbies. A little bit of time each day adds up quick. Dont waste the pockets and take advantage of the longer chunks of time on more meaningful things. 

Can’t wait to hear about how tou feel once you start being intentional about being present in your hobbies and interests!! 

Thank you for being here today, If you’re enjoying this series be sure to join us in my free community offline and connect with others taking specific action around each aspect!

Until then! I hope you have a wonderful week!! 

xx

Carly