Day Momo (Des Moments) August 1st-15th
A barricade on booze. Stone cold sobriety.
Not one ounce of alcohol for 30 days. An experiment I’ve done every year for the last 3 years.
Here are my 7 realizations and benefits from this year’s 30 day alcoholessness:
1. Save Money. I haven’t spent any money on alcohol, along with all the things associated with it: Expensive bar/restaurant food, late night dining after drinking, and taxis getting to and from the bars.
2. Much Better Sleep. I’ve noticed I’ve slept much better over the last 30 days. I no longer have acid build up from the alcohol, and I’m more comfortable lying down and sleeping at night. My sleep habits have become much better. I’m in bed earlier, and I’m waking up earlier, while still getting 8 hours of sleep.
3. Being more self aware. Some people have the ability to drink, yet are not impeded on a productivity level. I’m NOT one of them. I can’t handle my liquor.
It doesn’t take much for me to get buzzed, drunk, and hung over. Even if I don’t get drunk, I feel a slight fog in my head. I’m a slow mover at times, and I am even slower when I drink. I need more recovery than most. By not drinking this month, I’ve gotten ahead of myself, and my laziness. That’s self-awareness.
4. I don’t miss it. It just feels normal now, not drinking.
5. The empowerment and peace of a declaration. My decision was made on March 7th, etched in stone. This brought me peace. I eliminated and released some decision fatigue from my life. Indecision, and the option of multiple choices, can drag you down with exhaustion, like quicksand.
By making a resolute decision, peer pressure no longer daunted me. It was one less thing to decide upon. There was nothing to fret, brood, or toil about when the opportunity to drink came up. That made March 7th-April 7th easier, one less burden off my plate. Less is more. When you make a decision, you simultaneously, remove all other bullshit (other options) associated with that decision.
6. Momentum is strong and confidence grows. The confidence in a decision grows dramatically over time. A good habit developed in continuous days has a compounding effect in a positive way.
7. There is never a right time! EVER! I thought March would be ideal to stop drinking because I’d be hiking and camping all month. Being in nature, as opposed to city life, would be perfect for a drinking hiatus. So I thought…
I soon realized these little camping and hiking towns near the mountains had really cool bars and biergartens. Even on the camping trails, people had whisky or boxes of wine to celebrate their days’ hike. I couldn’t avoid alcohol, if I tried.
It was a profound reminder: There will never be a right time! Stop waiting. The time is now! Now will be just like any time in the future. It’s all the same, so you might as well go after whatever it is now, or start that habit now. A perfect time in the future does not exist.
BONUS Benefits: No blacking out, peeing in pants, streaking in public, red wine stains on the white shirt, or flirting with a girl in the bar who’s dating the Argentinian Rugby Team captain, and getting knocked out. 😉
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Fun and inspiring. You actually make it way more fun to not drink in this message. A very good point that there is no perfect time to stop drinking, life always happens, the decision is what’s profound.
Good perspective. All true!
Go joe go!! I am doing my 30 days now about 10 days in what an eye opening experience. Even 1 drink alters how I feel so I can relate. Miss you buddy and love reading your posts!