Never break the chain
 

I see a lot of debate on here as to the value of counting days in sobriety. So I'd like to share what I do in that regard.

A number of years ago I read an article about the comedian Jerry Seinfeld in which he talks about a method he has used to keep himself productive throughout his career. Basically he hung a big calendar on his wall that shows every month of the year spread out. He would dedicate a little time each day to honing his comedy routine, and every day he did this, he would put an X on that day on the calendar. The idea was that if he stayed consistent, a chain of X-es would build up and the growing length of the chain would motivate him to keep adding more X-es.

I used this method with some success in the past on various projects. But now I've applied it to sobriety. Every day I wake up sober, I put an X on my giant wall calendar. I don't count them. I just look at the overall length of the chain of X-es. And I must say, the longer it gets, the more beautiful it looks, and I don't plan on breaking it!

What do you guys think? Anyone else do something like this?

More power to you all!

Yep, I do the same thing. I put an X on my calendar for each day I don't drink. I also record what I get done each time I go to the gym. There's something very reinforcing about looking at a month and seeing all those X's and accomplishments I make at the gym. Looks pretty cool at the end of the month. John

Before I got Sober I would use the UK Drinkaware unit calculator to track my drinking and lie to myself that I was successfully moderating on occasion:

https://www.drinkaware.co.uk/underst...nit-calculator

When I got Sober I still used to fill in each day as zero units and as the weeks/months passed by it was a great feeling watching all those days with no drinking!! :)

2muchpain do you use a flip calendar or a big spread out one? I have this huge one that shows all the months so you can watch the chain transfer into the next month. As the months go by in starts to look like a work of art to me!

And Purpleknight I love your method!

Good for you bud

Keep up the awesome work Mns1

Oh my gosh!!! I love this idea, this is a great idea!!!! I'm going to do it. :)

I think that's a lovely idea! Well done you! I have a huge diary (did buy an a5 but was writing too much so swapped for an a4 lol) and write in it every day. I write the days on the top of the page but I think I may start doing an x in the planner at the front for a more visual representation too xx

I have always used the flip calendar, but the big one that spreads out sounds much better. I never thought of that. Thanks. John

Another reason for keeping track of what I do in the gym is that when I have relapsed in the past, it shows how much time it takes me to get my workouts back to where they were. A great motivator for me. I would think this would work for anybody that is maybe trying out new things now that they are sober whether it is time playing golf or going to movies or more time with friends. Noting these things on a calendar might help some people see their progress. John

John as a personal trainer I can tell you that that is a solid strategy. Everyone should keep track of their goals and progress.

Good for you brother!

I have a diary on my iPad I write in when I feel like it. It documents all my previous attempts at sobriety and also all the success I have had this time around. I then record particular milestones in tens, so my next specific date will be my 110 days this week! It really helps as if I ever wonder what I am doing this for I look back at previous struggles and agree never to go back there!

I like that!

And 110 days is awesome, great work!

More power to you Buggirl!

I do two things. firstly I use the "days since" app on my phone that tracks the number of days recovery I have and the number of days since my last drink. Having it on my phone is a simple way of feel a quick shot of enthusiasm whenever I want or need it. Secondly, I keep my personal cash flow, household bills and loyalty card accounts in a personal spreadsheet. I have a "sober" sheet in that file. Every sober day I have I fill in a new cell green.....day one is sell B1 coloured green, day two is B2 etc. Just seeing this column build over time is really motivating and I really don't want to see it wiped out. Little tricks but they really work.

I like this. Usng technology to your advantage.

Solid method ubntbnt!

I have a list of seven things that I am working on.

Staying sober
Working on my spiritual progress
Handling my finances better
Spending less money
Keeping my side of the street clean only, not judging others
Engaging with reality on life's terms
Taking care of my body


Each night I fill in the number of things I have achieved out of the list.

Then I put the results on a graph.

I can see exactly how much progress I'm making (or not making).

It does tend to modify my behaviour as I want to see a graph going up and not down !

Great post, mns. Keep making those Xs.

I couldn't tell you how many days its been since I quit drinking.

I do however drop a quarter in a mason jar on the 25th of each month.

That jar will overflow one day.

You are totally my data driven hero Janie.....

I was the exact opposite at one time, in that I thought counting days was a trigger. when I would slip up, start over and make it past the original slip up date I thought I was improving. I was believing my own lies as I kept slipping up only further and further apart.

Now I know the start date (the last time I put the bottle down) and I keep that date present at my work, house and vehicle. No one knows what the date represents and quite frankly its none of their business. But it helps (along with other things).

This sounds like a great idea for people who tend to get a kick out of making also "to do" lists and crossing off tasks from the list, living a structured life, etc. It can indeed be motivating. I did similar things in the past for other challenges when I wanted to develop discipline. With sobriety, in the beginning I was actually a bit averse to counting days -- I figured simply because the people with decent sobriety would talk about years or at least months, and I only had days or weeks, with lots of fear whether I could ever make it longer... but soon this turned into an inspiration and positive reinforcement. I never kept track of single days though. Usually acknowledge about every month, mostly in my mind. But now I've been obsessing a bit about my one-year anniversary this coming weekend, I think there is an interesting anticipation in my mind about it that contains elements of both achievement and sometimes a little fear. Mostly excitement now.

Like you said, people think about the counting culture in different ways. Do what you find most helpful! If you like to see the good work grow, maybe introduce some small rewards every now and then that you can enjoy and will give you an extra sense of achievement.