The power of 'one day at a time'
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Join Date: May 2009
Posts: 2,013
The power of 'one day at a time'
When everything begins to start feeling a little overwhelming and thoughts of "what forever, forever?" start to fill your head then just get deep into 'one day at a time' mode. It has enabled me to get and stay sober and continue to do so.
Untill I really 'got' this one day at a time thing then I really struggled with contemplating and staying stopped.
With the world cup arriving and talk of all of the England matches and thinking about whether I'm off work and trying to book time off for games or arrange the games to watch with my family then I started to notice my thinking ever so slightly getting out of sync. I realise it's partly because my thinking was obviously out of the present day thinking about the future. Also my alkie mind was tempted to 'project' about how all of those other people are being able to party whils't watching the football and make some headway into their 3 crates of lager for £18 or whatever else ridiculously cheap deal that's on.
I have bought my 8 cans of Coca-Cola after work ready for the match tomorrow night. I'm looking forward to it.
I am grateful that I have the ability to be able to spot my thinking and realise when I am feeling slightly off-balance. I cannot speak highly enough of the one day at a time and just for today philosophy in regards to staying gratefully sober. Thanks to SR and AA for enlightening me on all of this stuff.
It would be easy to start looking at what everybody else your age appears to be doing but I don't give my thoughts any time to drift around. Instead I just root my thinking firmly into one day at time mode and concentrate solely on the present day. That makes staying sober throughout events such as the world cup, events which I used to go out and party throughout, manageable.
Just thought I'd share as I know that thinking 'one day a time' is essential for maintaining grateful sobriety for this alcoholic. Sure I can plan for the future but I have to make sure I concentrate on the fundamental ie- the present day, staying sober just for today and moving forward in my recovery.
Increase The Peace. ps- Very grateful for having SR as an outlet for my recovery. Thanks.
Untill I really 'got' this one day at a time thing then I really struggled with contemplating and staying stopped.
With the world cup arriving and talk of all of the England matches and thinking about whether I'm off work and trying to book time off for games or arrange the games to watch with my family then I started to notice my thinking ever so slightly getting out of sync. I realise it's partly because my thinking was obviously out of the present day thinking about the future. Also my alkie mind was tempted to 'project' about how all of those other people are being able to party whils't watching the football and make some headway into their 3 crates of lager for £18 or whatever else ridiculously cheap deal that's on.
I have bought my 8 cans of Coca-Cola after work ready for the match tomorrow night. I'm looking forward to it.
I am grateful that I have the ability to be able to spot my thinking and realise when I am feeling slightly off-balance. I cannot speak highly enough of the one day at a time and just for today philosophy in regards to staying gratefully sober. Thanks to SR and AA for enlightening me on all of this stuff.
It would be easy to start looking at what everybody else your age appears to be doing but I don't give my thoughts any time to drift around. Instead I just root my thinking firmly into one day at time mode and concentrate solely on the present day. That makes staying sober throughout events such as the world cup, events which I used to go out and party throughout, manageable.
Just thought I'd share as I know that thinking 'one day a time' is essential for maintaining grateful sobriety for this alcoholic. Sure I can plan for the future but I have to make sure I concentrate on the fundamental ie- the present day, staying sober just for today and moving forward in my recovery.
Increase The Peace. ps- Very grateful for having SR as an outlet for my recovery. Thanks.
LOL
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Join Date: Jan 2009
Posts: 174
I second what 24hrsAday said!
It's times like this that we really have to keep our heads steady, and not let things get on top of us. One thing that comes with sobriety is clarity of thought. I can look at what I'm doing differently, why I'm thinking negatively etc and get to the root of it.
Good post neo!
It's times like this that we really have to keep our heads steady, and not let things get on top of us. One thing that comes with sobriety is clarity of thought. I can look at what I'm doing differently, why I'm thinking negatively etc and get to the root of it.
Good post neo!
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Join Date: Apr 2010
Location: Singapore
Posts: 737
As I've said a few times here, originally I suspected that "one day at a time" was just some nonsense cliche and not any kind of real solution to a problem so huge. However, at some point early on, during a bad day of cravings, I applied it as was suggested to me by someone here. Bottom line is that when nothing else worked, following that advice was the only thing that kept me sober. Full stop.
If I remember correctly, I had complained about the daunting and seemingly impossible task of considering sobriety in terms of "forever". But when it's broken down into one day (or hour, or minute) at a time it truly allows us to forget the massive responsibility of "never again" and just focus on what is not so ominous - which is to not drink right now.
I will never again underestimate the value in this cardinal rule, it has already kept me from drinking more than a few times. In fact, at certain points I would decide that this was all too much and even set out to drink, but once the decision was made to get my bottle I just said to myself "OK I am gonna drink, but I'll do it tomorrow". So far tomorrow hasn't come. Bloody cool if you ask me.
If I remember correctly, I had complained about the daunting and seemingly impossible task of considering sobriety in terms of "forever". But when it's broken down into one day (or hour, or minute) at a time it truly allows us to forget the massive responsibility of "never again" and just focus on what is not so ominous - which is to not drink right now.
I will never again underestimate the value in this cardinal rule, it has already kept me from drinking more than a few times. In fact, at certain points I would decide that this was all too much and even set out to drink, but once the decision was made to get my bottle I just said to myself "OK I am gonna drink, but I'll do it tomorrow". So far tomorrow hasn't come. Bloody cool if you ask me.
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Join Date: May 2009
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Well 4 cans of Coca-Cola down and it's all over. Typical England. At least we didn't lose.
It was an interesting test of my sobriety. I am glad that I have 11 months sober as I have the 'time under my belt' and experience to be able to understand my emotions, feelings and be able to just let them ride out naturally and firmly get my head into one day at a time mode, changing to one minute/hour at a time mode when needed. I tend to do this without thinking about it now.
There was the odd wave of sadness and mourning try to flicker into my consciousness but I just didn't pander to it and before I knew it I was wrapped up in the game. Nailing Coca-cola! lol and texting furiously throughout! LOL.
When I see the all of the people in the pubs and drinking in the party atmosphere my bedrock of 'Yes but I'm an alcoholic' flashes into my mind and I quickly flash my menory to how frantic it all was in blackout and the madness and insanity of it all.
I can wind down now naturally and look forward to waking up without any guilt or remors and happy in my decision to live a life in recovery from my alcoholism.
I would never have been able to have gratefully accepted and got through an event such as this without drastic personality and thinking changes. It's a testament to the power of recovery through both AA and SR + much wisdom from elsewhere too.
Thankyou SR. I do not have to wake up in frantic horror tomorrow knowing that I've let myself down and my family and friends. I will enjoy the day feeling ever grateful for being a recovering alcoholic. The alternative would have been drinking at 6.00am. Destroying my life.
peace and Love x
It was an interesting test of my sobriety. I am glad that I have 11 months sober as I have the 'time under my belt' and experience to be able to understand my emotions, feelings and be able to just let them ride out naturally and firmly get my head into one day at a time mode, changing to one minute/hour at a time mode when needed. I tend to do this without thinking about it now.
There was the odd wave of sadness and mourning try to flicker into my consciousness but I just didn't pander to it and before I knew it I was wrapped up in the game. Nailing Coca-cola! lol and texting furiously throughout! LOL.
When I see the all of the people in the pubs and drinking in the party atmosphere my bedrock of 'Yes but I'm an alcoholic' flashes into my mind and I quickly flash my menory to how frantic it all was in blackout and the madness and insanity of it all.
I can wind down now naturally and look forward to waking up without any guilt or remors and happy in my decision to live a life in recovery from my alcoholism.
I would never have been able to have gratefully accepted and got through an event such as this without drastic personality and thinking changes. It's a testament to the power of recovery through both AA and SR + much wisdom from elsewhere too.
Thankyou SR. I do not have to wake up in frantic horror tomorrow knowing that I've let myself down and my family and friends. I will enjoy the day feeling ever grateful for being a recovering alcoholic. The alternative would have been drinking at 6.00am. Destroying my life.
peace and Love x
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Join Date: Feb 2010
Location: The Present
Posts: 425
Neo
I second your power of one day at a time and help from SR. Like you, it's helped me get through the England/US game on three cokes and a clear head. In fact, here in World Cup country, most of the soccer aficianados are in bed sleeping the party off. What's more, I actually remember the whole game. Here's to a dry and memorable World Cup...
just one day at a time!
I second your power of one day at a time and help from SR. Like you, it's helped me get through the England/US game on three cokes and a clear head. In fact, here in World Cup country, most of the soccer aficianados are in bed sleeping the party off. What's more, I actually remember the whole game. Here's to a dry and memorable World Cup...
just one day at a time!
Wimp!! I was on Morrison's sugar free Ginger Beer! 
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Join Date: Feb 2010
Location: The Present
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Confessions of a kola-holic: Yes, I did have three cokes during the World Cup Game, but I also sneaked in a ginger beer and kola tonic with lemon at half-time! Previously, the half-time score would have been six beers down, six to go... and then some...
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