Icandothis2013

So I wrote out a new routine and pinned it up on my wall:
7.00am Wake up Coffee#1
20 mins exercise bike ( NB will be replaced with 90 minute walk at weekends)
Chill for 10 mins
15 mins meditation
Coffee #2
Work, work work
1pm Lunch then 15 minutes meditation
6pm 20 minutes exercise bike
Eat, chill, Tv etc
11.30pm 15 minutes meditation

I have managed to stick to it and I feel great ! Plus the awful pain from the tendinitis in my arm seems less and no urge to drink, so win win !
Onwards !

advbike

Nice work ICDT, I'm highly impressed! I can never stick to those sorts of schedules, but not for lack of trying. I know the structure would help me but I always fall back to my sort of spontaneous "plan-goof off-whirlwind" routine. Sigh. Well I'm retired so no big deal I suppose. Exercise is my most consistent thing, and meals, lol. I'm really consistent at eating. And my morning coffee, haha. But I commend you for your astute and well-structured efforts. Now carry on!

Grateful09

This is great!! I totally relate. These kinds of schedules are the most important barrier between me and my AV right now. During the work week I do OK without a strict schedule (I work long hours), but the weekends I absolutely must have an hour-by-hour schedule planned from Friday end of work, until Sunday bedtime. And so it goes. It works. I dream of the day when a weekend schedule won't be needed, but I would rather have one now than get tortured by my AV. And I have been feeling so happy by Sunday night, looking back on what has happened over the two days - both the chores (that actually got done) and the fun stuff too. So much more fulfilling than the former boozy weekend days. SHOUT OUT to my new pals on the weekender thread; that has been so helpful (when I get tired of the schedule thing, I find lots of inspiration there!)

Anna

I feel comfortable when I have a schedule to fall back on. I'm glad your arm is feeling better.

Introvrtd1

I like the list routine idea…I should do the same

DriGuy

Schedules are vital if you want to get things done efficiently. In retirement, I don't schedule like I used to. At most I have two things to remember to do in a day (and that's a really busy day), and if I forget one of them, I can do it the next day, when I'm not so busy. But I do have one standing daily task to get my butt out to the woods and pound a trail for an hour. The time varies with weather conditions. If it's going to get hot, I do it in the AM. If it's cool, I do it in the PM.

A close cousin to scheduling is list making in a notebook that fits in a shirt pocket. I used that when I was getting overwhelmed. Crossing things off the list made things happen in an orderly fashion. Just one thing at a time.

Aellyce

That sounds like a plan I would make as well. I am a scheduling and efficiency junkie in sobriety (also before drinking became a problem, so this seems natural for me). I really don't like to waste resources, including my energy and effort, when I can use them for something else. Sometimes it gets too much (can be a bit OCD-like), so I've learned to also schedule a bit of laziness here and there. For example, I like to have one day each week when I'm really free to do whatever I like in the moment, no important tasks planned (unless something very urgent comes up). And that is scheduled in advance too, for the most part, haha. One of the most frustrating things in my alcoholism for me was the loss of this planning ability, it created some of the most intense cognitive dissonance for me, because all that "living in the moment" (in the wrong way) was so much in contrast with my nature. So in sobriety, I can be proud of being effortlessly organized and neat again, and it's a great pleasure for me not even considering the benefits of being efficient. There are also many great scheduling tools these days that can help to stick with the plans.

Mizz

Routine/ schedule/ consistency.
All those things keep me happy, sober and are raising my life condition.
Its the normal for me now. I am glad that you have found something that works and that is positive. Keep on moving forward.