Discipline and Structure
 

Two things I do not like. It's important to have discipline and structure in one's day. What is your experience with this? I am supposed to be following some kind of hour-by-hour schedule, but I think the best I will be able to do is to make a list of things to do every day. So...today I will force myself to join weight watchers (I gained freaking 45 lbs last year and when I go today I refuse to know how much I weigh). I am going to tell them NOT to tell me. I'll just show up each week and hope for the best. In fact, now that I'm a lifetime member I can go as much as I want to - so maybe I'll go everyday.

Then I'll go to therapy. Then I'll go buy some curry paste and then I am even going to break down and go to an AA women's meeting tonight. As much as I hate labels, I am going to just introduce myself by saying I have a desire to stop drinking. It's a topic meeting, so I should be able to handle that.

Anyway, I'd like to hear your experiences with both the discipline and structure part of not drinking - if you do either of these. I can't even stand the thought of thinking about work as I so don't know what to even apply for anymore.

LOL, no one does structure or discipline? Ok, off to see my therapist :)

Not sure if this relates to your topic, but I did the "core" weight watchers program and liked it (it has a diff name now, but its the one you dont count points as much). I lost quite a bit of weight, 10 years worth at least haha. Its strict though, theres a very limited food list to stick to. As far as discipline, I can be disciplined but if I call it being stubborn it sounds better. And structure, I don't know. I work a pretty physical job. I am up at 5 am and knocked out by like 830 most nights, and in between I have a family to prepare three meals a day for and 5 dogs, so I my life for sure has routine if not structure. It's not the exciting life of the gypsy I see my self as, but for now its working ok.

I work in an office 5 days a week so weekday structure and discipline has always been there for me even when I was drinking, it was the weekends that were my downfall. Since I've been sober I make lists of things to do each and every weekend, I put everything on the list from cleaning the house to painting a wall, planting flowers, walking the dog, what to eat etc. Obviously some weekends entail a lot more than others but as I accomplish a task I cross it off and some things get carried over to the next weekend but it always feels good to cross things off.

Judy

Katie~

I am a certifiable list maker! I love lists! Lists make me happy. That is...the ones where things get crossed off.

I have thought myself about making an hour by hour schedule for my days. This was about a month ago or so. I mentioned this to my counselor who told me that it might be over load if I do that, so I didnt . She had me focus on only a few goals each week. I am not doing those either really.
I am unemployed right now. I have a lot of time on my hands. I am taking a photography class (online). I thought this would keep me busy enough along with being a house wife. Its not, and after reading your post I believe I am going to go back to my original idea of planning out my days...including time to chillax! The idea for me is to get so used to doing the things that are healthy for that eventually I wont need the schedule. Examples are working out...preparing healthy food...meditation...artistic endeavors photography and playing guitar.
WOW thank you so much for this thread. I realize now that has been one of my issues as of late. Too much time for me to be up in my head about the not important stuff. I am actually excited again! I need a reason to be excited in the mornings and my new schedule may do just that.
I like your list idea. It gives you focus without being confining. I need the structure though, otherwise I will hem and haw my way right out of diong anything.

The funny part will be me trying to set aside time to come here since I am here all the time now! LOL Hope I dont have withdrawls!

Great and I am glad you like this thread! I did not make a list today nor did I get to WW. I forgot about this. But I did go to my therapist and buy some curry paste. I start off all ambitious but now I am feeling tired. I think I'll try to make a list and stick to it tomorrow!

I suck at Discipline and Structure. What finally works for me is to break off the small parts on my list and check them off as they are completed. I don't force myself into a timetable. I usually do that when I feel "great" and then don't follow through the next day when I wake up feeling only "okay".

Alera, at times I feel like if I just get up and brush my teeth I am accomplishing a LOT. However, I must admit I am finding a way to stay on top of my house - at least, and know when the bills are due - at least. Tomorrow I must keep in mind I have two people coming here to each do their own thing - as in yard and pool. I tend to make mental notes, which is probably not as good as real notes. :) All in good time, I guess.

I've always been a "wing it" kind of girl. I always end up breaking my plans anyway. I make a short list of stuff to get done for the day (and sadly it usually includes going to work or class to make sure I actually do those) and otherwise I go wherever fortune takes me. I get stressed out when I have a list of stuff that doesn't get done, I just feel like my day belongs on the trash heap of time or I failed at life or something. But a short list of stuff completed makes me feel good.

I've always been uncomfortable with too much routine (though a little is good). I feel like I get too set into plans and it impedes my ability to be flexible, which is always important to me and I can't figure out why it should be. I don't keep a lot of stuff around; if I want to pack up the car and disappear, I feel like I should be able to. And there's no reason I should WANT to disappear, but I've always felt much better knowing I wasn't tied down to one place.

A fellow gypsy at heart! I have to say my new job is really good for me right now. When I was a sub teacher, a computer voice calls you at 5 am to push 1 for work and 2 for stay in bed. . .I stayed in bed a lot. I think part of the reason I was able to get sober without a lot of hassle is the freakish job schedule I have, but I always have my travel tooth brush ready=)

The toothbrush thing made me laugh. For well over a year I've carried a toothbrush in my car, and another in my purse. That way I feel like I'm ready to go wherever I need to, if I need to stay somewhere else I can. I guess I just have a way of using a place up. I was looking forward to leaving for grad school, finding out I'm staying here for another 2 years was kind of a blow. I don't really believe in fate or things that are "meant" to be, but I feel like this will be an interesting time. It's strange that a lot of things are coming together at the same time, and it should be an adventure to see where this goes! It's one of very few times in my life I feel like there are some sort of cosmic forces aligning or something... "fate" or whatever you want to call it, may have come to call.

OK. Sorry, I feel like I've hijacked Katie's thread.

When I worked in IT, my boss used post it notes and it worked great. He would write each task on a note and put them next to each other, the important tasks on his computer monitor so he would see them when he would start to browse the web. As each task was completed he simply would remove the post it note and throw it away. He felt really good when all of the notes were gone at the end of his day. I use this technique to this day.