I Gave Up Alcohol for 12 Weeks: And Those 12 Weeks Turned Into 1 Year
My coworkers and I formed a reading group with the stated purpose of setting and achieving goals. At the center of the group was the book The 12 Week Year, by Brian Moran and Michael Lennington. While by no means a prerequisite, I highly recommend reading The 4 Disciplines of Execution before taking on The 12 Week Year. While the 2 texts are not officially linked, they pair nicely together much like beer and pretzels.
Born and raised in Wisconsin, you could say drinking is a part of the culture. It’s woven into the fabric of my everyday life and has been since 1997. You’d understand if you’ve ever had a properly muddled Brandy Old Fashioned. I’ve done the Dry January challenge in the past and felt pretty great having done so. When my colleagues asked me to join their reading group for The 12 Week Year, I chose “Lose 15 lbs” as one of my goals.
Without getting too far into the weeds on how The 12 Week Year works, essentially you select 2 to 3 fairly lofty (and measurable) goals. Goals that would normally be annual goals such as New Year’s resolutions. Then you break down the goals into manageable chunks and set up tasks that, if followed, should move you closer to your goal each week. The tasks I chose that should move me closer to my weight loss goal were to cut alcohol and fast food from my diet. Completing those tasks should lead to achieving my weight loss goals. At the end of 12 weeks, my weight loss goal was not achieved. Why I failed isn’t important here, but the fact that an old habit seemed to have died is.
“The clarity of time looking backward and forward gets clearer and clearer every day.”
12 Weeks Somehow Became 1 Year
After a year now, alcohol did not find its way back into my life in the way it had before. It is now one year later and there is beer in my fridge that is over a year old. Prior to 2021, beer didn’t last more than a few days in my refrigerator.
I thought the timing to talk about this was appropriate with the turning of the new year and the resolutions that bring. Others are beginning similar challenges and posting their take on YouTube. I recommend seeking someone like that out for more detail. The same question kept coming up over and over again. Of the handful of people I told about my little permanent challenge, I got the same question almost universally.
So, Do You Feel Better?
The short answer is yes but I can’t help but think the real question everyone is asking is, Is it worth it? Do the benefits outweigh what I’d be giving up, and by how much? Again, I say yes.
The best way I can describe the progression of the past alcohol-free year of my life is this. The clarity of time looking backward and forward gets clearer and clearer every day. What I mean is, my memories have regained a new foothold in my mind. Events I haven’t thought about in years suddenly reappear and now play an active role in my thoughts. Looking beyond tomorrow or the present year is more normal than not. It’s an increase in scope, a sharpening of distant views. It’s great, and I really like it. There are negatives too, though they don’t eclipse the positives.
I don’t know when or if I will drink my next drink but what I know is what I tell my wife whenever she asks if I want one.
Today’s not the day.