Day by day, week by week--I've reached depths where I was happy to just go minute to minute. It's a helpful philosophy to get you moving, concentrated, thankful for each milestone reached. In the beginning it may be more useful to go hour by hour. Whenever a drink trigger pops into your head, put it off for an hour, and another, until the trigger is gone. You're not not drinking, you're putting off drinking, an hour at a time. Anyone can go an hour not drinking (or so you would hope). The point is, that extra hour sober will probably kill the impulsive triggers (kids are in bed--I'll have a drink; dishes are done, one glass of wine can't hurt). Sure it's a gimmick, but it helps.