At the start of the year, I made a pledge to go 12 months without drinking alcohol.

The reason?

Well, there were a few. 

Ranging from personal finances to health, to general life satisfaction and an over-reliance on alcohol for a good number of years.

So how did I get on during my teetotalling vacation?

Well, I clocked up 5 months.

Not the 12 months I was shooting for, but still a respectable effort. 

And enough time to properly test out this whole “not drinking” malarky.

For anyone who’s curious, here’s what I learnt:

*** Teetotalling surprised people.  Some people (not many) were completely baffled, occasionally concerned – and even, sometimes, offended.  Like me not drinking was somehow a personal affront.  It’s definitely an alcohol thing (no-one would react like this if I said I was giving up chocolate or cheese).  But I’ve come to realise that anyone’s reaction to me not drinking (or their reaction to anything, really) is a “them thing”, not a “me thing” - and it was handy to keep that in mind

*** There’s a bedding in period, just like starting a new job, or a new hobby, or a new habit.  Once through this, it becomes 10x easier not to drink

*** The best way for me to not be tempted to have a drink is to avoid situations where I might be tempted to have a drink.  Yes, this meant avoiding pubs, hanging out with friends and having beer & wine in the fridge.  But for me, zero tolerance (and zero temptation) really works 

*** Cutting alcohol is the best “hack” I’ve ever found for quickly dropping body fat (if that’s something that floats your boat)

*** Drinking is a perfect example of what Ray Dalio calls the Order of Consequences.  This is the idea that long term satisfaction comes from going past 1^st order thinking (and instant gratification) through to 2^nd, 3^rd, 4^th orders (and beyond).  In other words, having a beer or three on a Friday night can be fun and relaxing in the moment, but can also mean longer term impacts on physical health, motivation, sleep etc etc (this list could go on).  I know there's a balance to be struck, but for me the bottom line is this: my social life is more enjoyable when I drink, but my overall life is more enjoyable when I don't drink

*** My new favourite drink is mezcal (thank you Mexico!)

There’s no two ways about it…

Drinking (and perhaps more to the point, NOT drinking) definitely divides the crowd.

Something else which divides the crowd?

The world of self-help. 

Tell someone you’re going to a 4 day Tony Robbins workshop and you’ll get those same baffled & concerned looks from the backseat drivers who think you’re off your rocker.

Part of the reason for this scepticism?

I don’t think personal development is all that well understood.

This is part of the reason why I write about it each day, share my own experiences and flick in the occasional testimonial.

I honestly believe that personal growth – if approached with an open mind – can lead to a happier and more fulfilling life for anyone.

It’s up to you of course.  Each to their own and all that.

But if you’re ready to get going:

https://waitinglist.followingfulfilment.com

- Tom