Leaving Facebook

Before you read the "why" below (if you're interested), I want to address the big question of "but Nadine, how do we stay in touch without Facebook?":

• read my blog. You can either 1) pop by and read it anytime; 2) follow my blog (easy to do if you use a blogging or blog tracking application); or 3) follow my blog by email (enter your email in the space to the right, under "Follow by Email")
• email me either at info@nadinesyoga.ca (for Yoga related inquiries) or at my personal email account
• call/text me (contact info on my website http://www.nadinesyoga.ca/)
• letters
• visits

Why am I leaving Facebook? Sometimes a simple conversation sparks a big change. That happened last night. I was out walking with a good friend. Near the end of our walk we stumbled onto the topic of Facebook. I talked about how I'd love to leave Facebook but just didn't see if happening since I felt it was keeping me in touch with certain people. Then we parted ways and the idea kept running around in my head.
When I first joined Facebook in 2007 I became addicted to it immediately and used it constantly. Then, over the years, my presence dropped off. When I started my business in 2010, I decided to use my personal profile page as an additional way to "advertise" my business. And eventually it became a place where I simply linked to my blog posts here.
As a businesswoman, everyone tells me I need to utilize social media. I understand how powerful social media can be. However, I also know that social media that needs constant updating goes against many of my personal philosophies. I don't believe I've gotten a single student through Facebook, but I have gotten new students through online Yoga directories and new friends through this blog.
From a personal perspective, I have remained on Facebook as long as I have because I wanted to stay in touch with certain people. But the reality is I'm not in touch with them. I watch things happening in their life through their posts, but don't actually connect to them. In letting Facebook go, I will need to be more pro-active about emailing/writing/visiting those people that I really want to stay in touch with.
It will be mid-January when I deactivate my Facebook account, so we have plenty of time to share email addresses/cell phone numbers before then.