(The following is the end of the post I made below. I'm not sure what happened but when I posted, the whole post didn't appear.)

I am encouraging this during this time of year because if you can do it now, in this festive time of year, you can do it anytime.  Accomplishments add up, they give you confidence. Accomplishments obtained at a time that even people that don’t drink a lot are drinking, should give you even more confidence. There is nothing magic about January 1.  I stopped on August 3, 2015. Nothing magical about that day, it was just the day I decided I wanted to take back my life.  

I wish everyone good luck as they go through this time in their lives.  If there is no one in your life you feel comfortable talking to about this journey, or if you just want to vent, come here and post.  There will probably be someone reading that understands exactly what you are experiencing.  

A few days ago I made the post below about motivation and noticed there were a few hundred guests browsing.  I’ve seen that many guests browsing before but for some reason the number caught my attention. I don’t think anyone just happens upon this site, so most likely the hundreds of guest browsing that day were here for a reason.  For most, this is a holiday season and is festive. For many, this time of year is anything but festive.   

The hundreds of guests browsing that day were most likely here to find answers.  Maybe how to moderate their drinking, or to stop drinking altogether. Either way, they know they have an unhealthy relationship with alcohol.  If you’re like many, you have January 1 circled on their calendar as the day you’re going to start/stop _________. January 1 seems to be the magic day to start or stop just about anything.  You want to go through this time of year and enjoy all the things this time has to offer. I get it, I did it.  

Many times I circled January 1 as the day I would not drink again.  It didn’t happen. Then I would circle February 1, and it wouldn’t happen.  Every first day of the month would then get it’s first day circled and nothing would happen.  There would always be something to come up-----a party, something sad, something to celebrate, a good day at work, a bad day at work.  Always something. 

Changing the part of your life that you feel gets you through the life you live is hard.  For those with an unhealthy relationship with alcohol, I would think there is only a small number that decide not to drink, and bam, they don’t drink anymore.  It’s a journey. If you’re one that will begin their journey of moderation or abstinence during this time of year, good for you. If you have that January 1 date circled, why not start with some small steps in the next few weeks.

If you are attending an event you know you will be drinking, make a small goal for the event.  If you normally have a few drinks before arriving at an event, try going to the event without those drinks.  Maybe not drink for an hour during the event. Maybe stop an hour before you leave. My point is to just do something that can give you confidence.  While giving up alcohol for a short period of time in a night (or day) doesn’t sound like a big deal, many reading this probably understand how big of a deal it is.   

Ashley,

Thank you!  I’ve been thinking of your thought since it was posted, and for me it’s true.  The pain of regret is tough, I feel it often. Fortunately for me my drinking days did not cost me any real loses other than time.  I really don’t remember the specifics of how I felt during my transition to becoming alcohol free. I know I had rough times and I remember wondering if it was possible for me to be alcohol free.  But nothing that is thought about now. What I do think about is all the time that I wasted, doing what I thought I loved. The pain of change is nothing compared to the pain of regret.  

Knowing that we should change, or need to change, doesn’t make it easier.  Change is hard. We want to change but we don’t want to go through the process to change.  Or at least that is the way I was, which is why I never could go very long without drinking before stopping for good.  I wanted to be a non-drinker, but I wanted to drink. In the end, choices had to be made and change did not happen until those choices were truly embraced.  

hors, 

Only you know when it’s time.  As Ashley said, we are all here rooting for you!

Lynn