Do you really believe it’s possible to change your drinking? I mean for you. I’m sure you believe it’s possible for others, but do you truly believe it’s possible for you?
If not, it’s likely that you’re waiting for some evidence before you believe. But where does evidence exist? The past.
So if your past is a string of starts and stops, attempts and giving ups, well…you see the problem.
The belief that something is possible is a prerequisite for doing it. Otherwise, we’re left living in the land of “I’ll try.”
So what are you supposed to do?
Practice believing now. Believe without past evidence. You’ll need to borrow the evidence from your future.
As luck would have it, I’ve talked to your future self, and here’s what she wants you to know:
Eventually, you drop the story that your drinking means something terrible about you. You come to understand that it’s just a learned habit that, with the right tools, is completely unlearnable.
You learn to keep your word to yourself. Not every time at the start, but with thoughtful practice, it becomes as important to you to keep your commitments to yourself as it is to keep them to others.
You realize that cravings aren’t as unbearable as you thought they were and you learn to watch them come and go until, eventually, they don’t come anymore.
You build up your emotional resilience muscles so that all the big and little things that were getting leaving you wanting to take the edge off at night just become the facts of your day.
All of that’s available to you. Once you truly believe it’s possible, it’s yours for the taking.