🕶 About my relationship with alcohol

I’ve had an interesting relationship with alcohol throughout my life.

And I’m making changes.

My relationship with alcohol has been similar to how I imagine a relationship with an abusive ex.

She reappears in my life and reminds me about all of the good times and exciting memories and sticks around long enough to subtly try and manipulate good things happening in my life.

My high school years were like if Dazed and Confused was made about the 90s. In my twenties I lived for the weekends–any extra money and time I had was spent at the bar instead of at home nurturing a relationship with my wife. 

I got in a drunken bicycle accident before my oldest son turned one. 

When my second son was born I realized it was time for a change. I didn’t want to be the dad who was too hungover to hangout with his kids. 

I was about 30 at this time. I looked back at the last 14 years of my life with a lot of guilt and regret. I thought about everything I could have done if I was focused. Then I started looking forward and thinking about what I could accomplish in the next 5-10 years if I started applying myself and focusing on development. 

There is a direct correlation between my sobriety and personal growth. It provided me with the mental clarity I needed to take consistent and intentional actions. 

I went from an entry level position to a leadership consultant with T-Mobile’s customer care team. 

Now I’m on my own as a self-employed coach and consultant. 

Over the last few years I’ve been introduced to the world of quality bourbon, tequila, and wine, but I’m realizing that I won’t be able to get where I’m going with them holding me back.

So I’m sober…again. 

I want to see what I can accomplish with fitness, finances, and personal relationships in the next 10 years of my life. (I’m 41 right now.)

I know a lot of people who have a healthy relationship with alcohol, and this is not meant as a message suggesting everyone should stop drinking.

I’m also not saying I’ll never drink again. That’s too much pressure and not a commitment I want to make at this point.

This is not a PSA about alcohol abuse or a sobriety challenge, but I would challenge you to look at things in your life holding you back and eliminating them one at a time.

So much of growth is about letting go of the things holding us back.

A few other things I’m letting go of:

• Checking social media while in my bed (morning and night)

• Eating without a plan

• Skipping leg day

I’m excited for another decade of personal growth and development now that I’m building my own business. My challenge is to see how many people I can help in the world of leadership development. 

LFG