FixerUpper

This may be silly, but I got to work early this morning and decided to send myself an email. Someone on one of these threads talked about radically changing the daily routine, so this is what I just told myself. :

Your recovery program will be as follows. You MUST completely change your routine. It will be very hard and very painful at first, but you really have no choice, as you have nearly destroyed your life and your family and you have hurt many, many people in the process. Remember, being dead and being drunk all the time are pretty much the same thing. Time to live again!

1. The cell phone goes off at 5:00 p.m. No dealing with work after 5, no inappropriate friends.
2. You will come home from work every night at take the dog for a walk and get your heart rate up!
3. For 2 hours, You will either participate in an online recovery forum, an AA meeting or do readings from The Big Book.
4. You will spend time talking to your wife and children.
5. On weekends, you will participate in healthy, vigorous activities. This can be hunting, hiking, fishing, even plain old hard yard work.
6. You will start eating right and taking your vitamins every day.

These things are not difficult. Normal people do this every day!

JT0626

I'm not mad at you for making that list. It is a great list & a great place to start. I think I will start implementing the dog walk every night for myself.

Time2Focus

Great list. I'm working as well on changing my behaviors and routines. Just something as simple as taking a different route home after work is something nice and new and is helping me.

downtown3

Great job! That is how i finally kicked the habit by completely changing my routine. If you can do it try getting in some form of physical activity 5-6 days a week. It will do wonders for your mood, waistline and overall health. Plus its very addictive. Dont simply do it just to do it and go through the motions. Pick a sport whatever it is, mine is cycling and keep track of your workouts and build on them. It makes the workouts much more enjoyable when you can see real progress. You will get to a point where you will feel guilty about missing them. The idea of consuming alcohol will becomes so ludicrous while you are in the fitness routine. I took it one step farther and got a coach who sends me workouts daily which i am accountable for - plus i am paying him. The best decision i ever made was calling my coach the first time. It was the beginning step i took to get sober. I will be sober 1 year dec 22 and still ride daily.

SoberLeigh

Great list, FixerUpper! I love it.

Yes, normal people do those things everyday. In my next life I am coming back as a normie. In the meantime, I am embracing this sober life.

Power on, FixerUpper.

JanieJ

Sounds like a good list !

I would add:

Pat yourself on the back every evening

least

Sounds like a good plan to me.

PurpleKnight

I needed to do something similar, the same old routine I used to follow for years and it facilitated the drinking of alcohol.

Instead a new radical approach to my day was needed, full of simple things to carve out a new Sober lifestyle!!