ColditzJB

This was the first goal I set on 43Things, and it is the one I’m most serious about. Smoking does terrible things to physical health, and the addiction really messes with mental health too. I’ve made a couple serious attempts at quitting, but never stayed a non-smoker for more than 6 months. So this time I want to get it right.

I have a few more meetings scheduled with a behavioral health coach to make sure I am working with the plan we put together, and I’m getting the nicotine gum one last time. I need to quit drinking for a while too (Goal #2). That is the the trigger that always brought me back to smoking. That in itself is a mountain to climb, but definitely a climb worth making. This time I know the obstacles ahead, and knowing is half the battle. The other half is doing it with dedication.

Day 1 is this Sunday, and I’ve been looking forward to this adventure for a long time. I’ll gladly take the stress of being a non-smoker over the stress of wanting to quit.

Staying sober for 90+ days, starting 11/1/09. That will be my longest stretch for the past 12 years. It will be difficult, but it is my best chance at getting my life back on track.

I will re-evaluate my situation then.

After 90 days, I hope to have accomplished 10 goals (my top ten) including this one. As of now, I start at zero.

This is a big one for me because it affects other goals. I could be more productive in other aspects if I drank less, so it seems like a great place to start.

I’ve been thinking about it for quite some time, that I’d like to control my drinking. I drink in a lot of different contexts (e.g., with friends at parties or happy hour, after a long day to mellow down, when I’m bored or stressed), so I definitely use alcohol in social situations as well as to self-medicate.

I’ve had some negative consequences from my alcohol use; stories beyond what I would comfortably recount here. Such events have helped me to understand my limits in social contexts, but don’t normally relate to my personal use. I don’t want alcohol to affect my daily routine or my ability to cope with personal problems, so it is due time to control my drinking. If I put it off much longer, I’ll have to make a goal to stop drinking altogether. No fun!

Step 1: I will compartmentalize and limit my drinking into appropriate contexts. From here, I’ll be better able to examine my drinking habits in different situations. Let the horse trading begin…

• Invited to celebrate with family, friends, coworkers
• Social events like camping , concerts, vacation

• When Alone
• When Bored
• After Coming home from a drinking occasion
• When Dealing with normal stress (e.g., work, relationships)

I’ll keep track of my success and re-evaluate my progress monthly.