#66 — How To Thrive Without Social Media with Alexandra Franzen

Awaken The Rebel

This week I have writer, consultant, entrepreneur, and creative mermaid, Alexandra Franzen on the podcast to dish a life without social media and how to live a life that’s true to you. After quitting her job in public radio 11 years ago, Alexandra started working as a self-employed writer. Now she’s written articles for Time and Forbes, published six books, and teaches courses on writing, publishing, marketing, and getting things done from her beautiful home in Hawaii.

In this episode, you will hear:

• The story of how a summer hiatus from Twitter led to her giving up social media altogether
• Why being uncomfortable and brave are vital for surviving those first few years as an entrepreneur
• How experimenting with life has helped her forge her own path
• What it really takes to write a good book
• And her #1 tip for book writing that will make the whole project less overwhelming

Coaching Questions & Thoughts: What is your relationship to social media? Do you feel like it’s a tool you use for creativity and connection, or is it more of a habitual distraction?

Do you like the person you’re becoming when you use social media?

If not, what’s a small, non-committal hiatus you could take that would give you the space to see who you are without it?

What’s a hobby or obsession that you keep saying no to? Could you give yourself permission to try it and see what happens?

Quotes: “After that initial withdrawal, what I noticed was just a feeling of quiet and so much space in my brain.” — Alexandra Franzen

“Nothing is forever, and life is full of surprises.” — Alexandra Franzen

“It was uncomfortable at first because I had all those feelings, ‘I don't want to bother people.’ ‘I don't want to sound desperate. All the things — but it was actually beautiful how wrong I was.” — Alexandra Franzen

“Doing that gave me such a sense of courage because I felt like, ‘if I can fly a helicopter, I can finish this essay and submitted by the deadline.’” — Alexandra Franzen

“Sometimes we have certain hobbies or obsessions or passions that come in for a brief time to teach you a lesson or to shape who you are to help you become stronger and grow.” — Alexandra Franzen

Resources:

Alexandra Franzen’s Website

Alexandra Franzen’s Courses (including the Tiny Book Course mentioned in this episode)

YouCanGetItDone.com

Stop keeping up with the Jones’ and learn all the science-based tips I learned from Yale on what actually makes us happy! Download the free happiness cheat sheet at www.awakentherebel.com.