The urge to stop drinking had been implanted before. But as it is with bad habits or addictions, you promise yourself to stop drinking tomorrow, or dink less, or drink only on odd days, or whatever comes to your mind.

What came across my mind recently was the question what caused what in the end.

One thing I’m definitely sure about is, I wouldn’t have stopped drinking if it wouldn’t have been for exercising. The only question is: What sparked the other. I had to really deeply dive into my memory to sort it out:

The wish to stop drinking had been there, as I said, for a long time. And in the end, it was the thought: “If I can bring myself to a positive habit I do every other day, I might have the chance to find a reason to stop drinking at least the other every day: If I drank on a Tuesday, I wouldn’t exercise on a Wednesday and when I had a sober Wednesday I would exercise the following day. Starting out was a pretty bumpy road.

In the end, I could manifest this new habit, running every other day. The problem was: I wouldn’t stop drinking on the days I intended to be sober, I just drank a little less. Until in the end I was so powered out that drinking, exercising and working didn’t work out anymore. So first I skipped exercises, then I had the feeling to skip workdays because everything was too much for the system. Only when I felt it could seriously impact my working contract, I really felt powerful enough to stop the nastiest of the three things: I first cut back drinking seriously and felt the power resurge as I made progress with my sports. Then I finally mustered enough willpower and decision making power to get rid of drinking for good. And that has been, apart from having a family and having stopped smoking, the best decision of my whole life.

Until then: Keep up the faith in yourself and take one step at a time!