Process vs Outcome
 

Reading a book on behavioral finance recently. It focuses on the emotional (vice logical) reactions investors make that typically cost them money. I see many parallels to problem drinking - which is a purely emotional decision.

Last night's chapter is on my mind. It was about focusing on process instead of outcome. The gist being that if you focus on the process the outcome tends to take care of itself.

The newcomer's forum typically gets a lot of posts focused on the outcome - how will I stop drinking?

In reality this isn't even the honest question. If you asked a computer how will I stop drinking it would respond stop pouring alcohol in your mouth. Problem solved from the computer's perspective.

The real question is how will I be happy not drinking?

There are no magic answers. No genie in a bottle to change the world in an instant. It takes a process. Then it takes the individual working on that process.

It may take a while to figure out the process that works for you. It did for me. Some of us turned to alcohol for so long we hardly even knew ourselves anymore. In those circumstances it can take a while to figure out the best process for oneself. You just have to keep trying.

Once you find your process, focus on it. That bottle loses its appeal rapidly once your sober life is happy and fulfilling. By working your process the desired outcome takes care of itself.

Quite a few of us kicking around the boards for over a year (I note Dee74 doing this often) will ask a newcomer what's your plan. That's because the process is what produces results. That's where your focus should be.

You can do this. :ring

nonsensical, I have to take you to task...
"how will I stop drinking" is actually a plan. Being happy is an outcome...

I agree with you. Asking someone what is their plan can be a shock to someone who just realized they have a problem that they couldn't solve. I think that is why many come here asking for help, because they don't have a plan or their plan didn't work.