welcome back, Forester.
yes, if you can just choose not to drink, then you can just choose.
i just chose not to many many times and couldn't stick to it. but that's me.
you might find the AVRT threads useful in the Secular Connections forum farther down; all about basically just choosing not to.
the reason a plan is suggested so often is for several reasons. there are people like me who couldn't just choose not to, whose choice was impaired. then, there are simply moments where other "wants" can take precedence over the long-term, overarching choice. and then there's this: Just the odd moment when I've thought about drinking and then the memory comes flooding back and the thought is destroyed long before it becomes a craving. this works well for a lot of people at the beginning, but then the memory pales, and a voice starts whispering that it really wasn't that bad. and, nudge nudge, now that you've so clearly demonstrated that you can not drink, it's surely alright to have one. maybe two.
all kinds off crazy stuff can happen.
anyway, good to see you back.