Making a Plan
Living the life
Join Date: Sep 2016
Location: Ontario, Canada
Posts: 1,211
What a great thread! I just want to thank everyone who so generously shared their plans. I have a plan in my head but nowhere near as detailed or thorough as what is posted here. I have just made notes from this and am going to work on a more formal plan. Thank you!
Guest
Join Date: Aug 2015
Location: Atlanta
Posts: 8,674
Originally Posted by FLCamper 
August gave you a pretty good answer. I'll add a few things that helped me: while at work, I'd visualize my evening and plan it out. I'd picture myself without a drink. I also had a schedule of things for the first few days: it was all spelled out in 15 minutes increments, especially the weekend when I did not have to work. I also let myself nap if I felt like it, eat ice cream for dinner, stay up late, sleep late, etc. I read SR every day.
Hang in there - for me the first evening from 5 - 10pm was the hardest. It helped to really just get through one hour at a time.
Hang in there - for me the first evening from 5 - 10pm was the hardest. It helped to really just get through one hour at a time.
FL Camper added some things that have also been true for me-
Planning is still crucial. I call my calendar (tome) the Holy Day Planner and everrrrything goes in it. Work, mtgs, dates, all kinds of notes from devo, AA mtgs, books, ideas for my blog...(which is another thing- my creativity has come back as my focus has continued to shift and broaden and interest in things way beyond myself has come back).
I still eat too much ice cream. See: my comments about weight
I still nap- I work very long hours now and usually this is a short nap during or right after a busy day; at first, though, I took a LOT of naps - like frick, I didn't work for awhile (the first five wks) so I was able to gobble up as much sleep as I could.
Key for me, that I have really seen in certain weeks as I look back - and again, experienced last week: I suffer when I don't go to enough meetings. Yep, I am one of those- I have heard it said all the time and find it true. What seems to happen to me is that I wrangle with things more, feel less even-keeled, get emotionally shaky for longer, and such, when I don't go to enough. Last week I only hit two and by the end of the week, knew it would have been a smoother week if I had gone to more. I don't even have to like the meeting per se, but I really try to find just one thing to think about or take away from each one (this morning was a challenge). Right now, that means getting up for the 730 mtg which is not my preference!!
Also, now I can be interested in others. I do not sponsor anyone but I do make time for breakfast with someone newer, to reach out to people after meetings, to have more people in the program that I keep tabs on via FB or text....
Most of all, I don't think I've got this thing down pat. Not just the not drinking part (though I pray I never want to again and that the problem does indeed remain removed), rather the "tending to" part. Others might have seen me refer to my alcoholism- my sobriety, really- as my best friend. It is with me all the time, and now that is in a positive, most peculiar and also best gift I've ever been given way. I protect and nurture it with all my heart.
Member
Join Date: Aug 2016
Posts: 1,025
Great thread!
My plan was divided in two stages. Early days, and longer term goals.
For the early days part, which lasted about 3 weeks, I set myself to:
- fasten seat belts and detox. Took me fever, swearing, insomnia, you all know the story.
- not drink
- check SR daily
- spend time trying to work out the main reason behind my drinking.
- tell my wife, family and close friends that I quit, and tell them that "whatever I say in the future drinking can't be a part of my life anymore, so don't buy any crap I try to come up with".
Longer term:
- describe in detail who is the person I want to be in a few years and what will take me there. It led to:
- exercise regularly
- eat well
- never procrastinate, if I can do something now I'll get on with it straight away.
- have unlimited patience and attention for my wife and kids.
- work on major long term projects that are hard to achieve and will take effort and focus. Things I like to do, but with a clear aim for the future (without going into too much detail I started studying again and am focusing on my music production hobby with the aim of making a career out of it, but this would be different for everyone).
- meditate most nights before bed.
- look for and find pleasure in life's simple things.
That was two months ago and I am definitely moving in the right direction, this is what motivates me and not drinking is a now a consequence of that.
By the way there is no way on earth I would have done that if it wasn't for the feedback I got on my first post here.
You guys rock.
Mr P
My plan was divided in two stages. Early days, and longer term goals.
For the early days part, which lasted about 3 weeks, I set myself to:
- fasten seat belts and detox. Took me fever, swearing, insomnia, you all know the story.
- not drink
- check SR daily
- spend time trying to work out the main reason behind my drinking.
- tell my wife, family and close friends that I quit, and tell them that "whatever I say in the future drinking can't be a part of my life anymore, so don't buy any crap I try to come up with".
Longer term:
- describe in detail who is the person I want to be in a few years and what will take me there. It led to:
- exercise regularly
- eat well
- never procrastinate, if I can do something now I'll get on with it straight away.
- have unlimited patience and attention for my wife and kids.
- work on major long term projects that are hard to achieve and will take effort and focus. Things I like to do, but with a clear aim for the future (without going into too much detail I started studying again and am focusing on my music production hobby with the aim of making a career out of it, but this would be different for everyone).
- meditate most nights before bed.
- look for and find pleasure in life's simple things.
That was two months ago and I am definitely moving in the right direction, this is what motivates me and not drinking is a now a consequence of that.
By the way there is no way on earth I would have done that if it wasn't for the feedback I got on my first post here.
You guys rock.
Mr P
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