This is a follow-up to my previous post entitled What I Learned From Going 90 Days Without Alcohol. During my last challenge, a friend of mine was inspired to try going 30 days without drinking. They made it about two weeks and then gave up. So because of that, and because of other people inquiring about this process, I wanted to give you some helpful guidelines that allowed me to successfully go three months alcohol free. It may seem like a simple process, but the pressures of habit, social norms, and being outside of your comfort zone, are very real. If you don't have a strategy in place, it can be difficult to complete your 90 days. The following tips will make you more prepared to successfully complete this challenge.
Know Your Why.
What is the reason that you are going 90 days alcohol free? Your answer is very important, because it is the basis of your motivation for the next 3 months. Also, you're going to be asked this question over and over again, by your friends, family, and anyone else that you mention it to, so it's massively helpful to have a good explanation at hand. There are dozens of reasons to take a break from drinking -- you can save money, get better sleep, have more energy, feel healthier, lose weight, stay more hydrated, no longer have hangovers, and feel more comfortable while completely sober in social situations, just to name a few. Whatever your explanation is, having a solid understanding of it is crucial to keeping you inspired and capable of completing the process. Your "Why" is your belief, and the stronger your understanding is of your "Why", the stronger your belief will be in your ability to go 90 days alcohol free. So write it down, rehearse saying it, and be prepared to pull it out whenever anyone asks "What are you doing this for?"
One of my beliefs about going 90 days alcohol free is that it has an impact beyond just the habit of drinking alcohol. Overall, I believe that I become a better version of myself, through re-examining my drinking habit and having a deeper understanding of my tendencies and thought patterns. Building discipline around drinking then spills over into other areas of my life, such as work and fitness, where I see the benefits of being more focused and driven.
Even if you don't have a very strong "Why" at first -- maybe you just feel like this is a good choice -- just be conscious of your explanation for committing to the process, and continue to refine it as you progress through the next three months.
Create Accountability.
Once you have a good understanding of why you're going 90 days alcohol free, shout about it from the rooftops.
Ok, you might not have to go that far, but telling other people that you're committing to this process can give you the productive kind of social pressure you need to actually make it through the 90 days. Get your friends and family involved. The more people are aware that you're doing this, the more accountability you create. Consider having a close friend be your accountability buddy, who will check in with you on a regular basis to make sure that you're on track -- maybe they can even commit to 90 days alcohol free too! Another good way to create some accountability is by documenting the process on social media. What's important is that you get the ideas out of your head and into the world, through speaking about you're doing, and letting others know that you've committed to this. Having people following along with you on this process helps you build momentum and keep the challenge on the top of your list of things to accomplish.
If you're struggling to create some accountability for yourself, I'm happy to be your accountability partner! Best way to get in touch with me is via my Instagram or Twitter @tomschachte.
Ritualize the Process.
For the next 90 days, you have to make sure that you take a moment each day to acknowledge your success and express gratitude for the fact that you are one day closer to completing this challenge. It's easy to take this for granted the first few weeks, as you probably won't have a serious craving or excuse to try and drink. But once you are presented with an opportunity to break your new habit, having a daily ritual in place makes the temptation to quit much less appealing.
A good example of this is what Jerry Seinfeld used to create a daily ritual around joke writing. He used a calendar and a red marker to cross out each day, if and only if he wrote a joke that day. His objective was simple -- keep the streak going. As long as he took time each day to write a new joke, he could add that day to the streak. Using this same tactic for your 90 days is very effective. Instead of focusing on going 90 days, all you have to focus on is getting through today. Once your day ends, make sure to celebrate your win, giving yourself a conscious reminder of your challenge and further motivation to make it through the remaining days, by crossing the day off of your calendar.
Whatever tactic you use, make sure that it's a daily practice that allows you to build up the proper momentum to power through any sort of temptation or social pressure.
Be Relentless.
My breaking point came around day 65. I had attended a friend's wedding in Brooklyn and was enjoying the reception that followed. There was an open bar that all of the attendants seemed to be enjoying thoroughly, other than myself of course. Amidst the fun and debauchery, for a moment it felt like I was missing out. A wedding is supposed to be fun and wild, yet here I was with a soda water in my hand, watching the bride, groom, and our mutual friends all having the time of their lives, while I felt like a stick in the mud. It was very tempting to grab just one drink from the open bar, and I seriously considered it for a brief moment. Before I could order a drink, I texted some friends that knew about my challenge, and told them that I was very close to breaking. They got back to me with words of encouragement and reminded me that I only had to get through the reception, and the end of the night. My streak was over two months and I couldn't mess it up now.
This was the closest that I got to breaking my challenge. Because I knew my "Why" and was able to remind myself -- that I loved being able to socialize and have fun without having a hangover the next day, that I had already saved hundreds of dollars from not buying alcohol, that I was getting better sleep, and more focused on work and my passions than ever before -- and because I had accountability with my friends and a daily ritual in place, I was able to curb this temptation. After overcoming this obstacle, the rest of the challenge became a whole lot easier.
You can use these same tactics to go 90 days alcohol free. I'm happy to help you do it, too. Reach out to me if you're interested, and let's work together to allow you to experience the amazing benefits of the 90 Day Alcohol Free Challenge.