Xune

The approach of one day at a time simply doesn't work for me.

My thought process is geared towards, regarding one day at a time, that tomorrow is a new day, so I can drink today and tomorrow will be a fresh start.

For me, saying 'I do not drink alcohol and for the rest of my life, I will not drink', is for me, extremely effective and a mission statement that I can get behind.

Is this perspective unusual?

InspiredAnew

whatever works

bbthumper

Indeed. Whatever works.
I live life one day at a time. I quit drinking for good though. There is no feeling of today Im sober, but tomorrow I just dont know what will happen.

Anna

You should do whatever works for you.

Healthyfood

I actually hated this one day at a time thing at first. But now when Im struggling some days it does really help. Just this one time I don't drink. And so sobriety continues.

Dee74

It sounds a lot like AVRT to me

I recommend you visit the Secular Connections forum if you think you may benefit from a non 12 step approach, Xune.

doggonecarl

I understand the concept of one day at a time. But, whenever thought about it, the part that stuck out for me was the "one day" part...like one day I'll be able to drink.

After a couple weeks of recovery, it became pretty clear that I wasn't a normal drinker and was never, ever, going to be one. So the idea of never drinking, of quitting forever, was very freeing for me. Once the decision was made, it was easy. I was never going to drink. Ever.

hypochondriac

That's how I had to approach it Xune I tried giving up drinking one day at a time and it didn't work for me. In the end I gave up drinking forever and am now taking life one day at a time x

Twenties

Whatever works for you!

ru12

I think it can be an effective construct. When I was new, the idea that I would never drink EVER, was just frightening. But I could get my mind around one day. I could certainly not drink for one day. I've morphed it to I don't drink NOW. And since it it always now . . . I don't drink ever.

Dee74

It was useful for me too...
Forever seemed immense to me - I had no confidence in my ability to stay sober....

committing to staying sober today and then committing to the same tomorrow...and the day after and so on really helped me to get to a point where forever no longer seemed so daunting... cos I was already doing it

Horses for courses...whatever works...it's all good

D

Xune

Thanks everyone for taking the time to respond. It's somewhat comforting knowing that my perspective, is not at all unusual or deviant from a norm.

'Whatever works' I like that.

Thanks also for the secular non 12 step link. I will check it out.

Rennet

I've started with blocks. So my initial goal is 10 days and today is day 7. Previously I had only got to day 4 and this has been the easiest quit I've ever done so far.

Given that I feel like I'm "coasting" right now, I'm preparing mentally to make a bigger commitment because I know once I'm in the daily drinking cycle it is really, really hard to break. I'll probably commit to 2 months or something, then at the end of 2 months commit to a year, then say for life. All the while in the back of my mind I know even right now it's a quit for life goal

Like they say, whatever works :P