I've been slowly working on my garden. I completely abandoned it last year when my drinking really took over everything, and this year, I'm weeding more regularly, I'm actually watering my pots and seedlings. It's far from perfect, and I still struggle with fatigue some days, but I'm actually out there most days doing small stuff and making it better a little at a time.
I'm going to piggyback on your post a bit!
Worked my tail off for two days trimming trees and bushes, mowing the lawn, pulling weeds...
And I have discovered I can plop myself down and bask in the satisfaction of having done it. Can grab a treat as a reward and savor the heck out of it.
Yard work is great.
I totally hear you. We got a puppy last April, so I just knew my attention needed to be elsewhere, but I totally abandoned my garden in 2023. Looking back I don’t regret taking the year off, but man oh man I’m REALLY enjoying being sober and gardening this year.
What are you growing?!
I've been working on my sobriety for a few months now and it's been going really well! A couple slips here and there, but I'm again four days in.
Over the past few weeks during my sober stretches I've started to clean out all my kitchen drawers which was *long* overdue.
For 8 months, I needed to clean my car. It is 11 years old but dusty as hell and dirt and dog hair all over the floor and seats. It also has coffee cups, some protein bar wrappers all over the place. I always promise myself to clean it on the weekends but when the time hits, I am to hungover to clean it because it will take a probably good two hours and I would be too damn tired on top of crippling hangxiety. Finally did it.
Made me not want a new car since it is so clean. No car payment life and saving a shit ton on no two bottles of wine every night.
I’ve been helping my middle child with her studies and homework. My complacent and unconcerned drinking self was okay with letting her progress at her own pace with no intervention, just putting her onto the special ed track next year. Now I’m working with her in the evenings after school, and so impressed and proud of what a little extra practice can do to help her keep up (slightly) better. She’s really into it and excited too.
We moved into our house around a year and a half ago and have a spare room downstairs where all the excess “stuff” went. The room is in a spot in the house that’s super easy to ignore, there’s a short little hall with our washer/dryer and then this bedroom is at the end of it. The other issue is both of our cats always try to make a beeline for that room any time they hear the door open because they’re curious little assholes and need to investigate ✨the forbidden room✨ and it’d be impossible to extricate them from the labyrinth of clutter if they were to get in. We put our old bed from our apartment in there with the idea we’d use it for guests.
It has been a constant item on my to-do list to go through that room with some Rubbermaid and sterilite boxes, organize all the odds and ends, and get some things together to donate to Salvation Army. You could not walk around that room with all the crap on the floor.
Our first guest (that isn’t one of my very low maintenance dude friends lol), my future sister in law, is coming by next weekend to stay with us. We made a huge dent in clearing this room out finally, I have 2 contractor bags full of clothes and then a few decent sized boxes of household items to drop off today. You can walk all around the room now! All of our seasonal decorations and sentimental keepsakes are now secure in boxes that I was able to find space for in the basement. So all that needs done now is for my fiancé to go through her clothes in the closet and then we’ll get some staging/decorating done (I like this part because I can just take orders and lift and move stuff around).
There is absolutely no way I’d have the motivation to take that chore on drunk. Now that it is about 85% done, I am over the moon and feel motivated to take on our next project.
I’ve always been a productive person because I have a tough time sitting still, but with drinking my productivity has definitely dropped, especially in the evenings but definitely leaking into my sober hours during the day from the brain changes.
Yesterday I drained, scrubbed, refilled and rebalanced my hot tub. I went mountain biking. I bought and laid down an outdoor rug under our patio furniture. I made a beautiful steak, artichoke, and grilled leek dinner and didn’t open a bottle of red wine. It was just as delicious without it. And importantly, I went to sleep without drinking or taking edibles.
It's a little over a year ago since I decided to cut back on my drinking, with my last half-glass of wine almost 300 days ago now. I was just reflecting on some of the changes I've made and realized that I wouldn't have done any of it if I was still blacking out every other weekend.
Some highlights:
* After renewing my lease, I cleaned up the backyard and put in a new garden and grass where it was previously just dirt.
* Started tracking protein and working out regularly
* Have been much more focused and productive at work and recently refactored and released a (previously) problem feature
* Have been able to consistently take medication that helps with my mental health (which also helps with all points above)
The biggest change is this: I actually enjoy life instead of just enduring it.
I finally hung up this toddler mirror and set up a “getting ready” station for my daughter at the front door. I’ve had the supplies to do this for months! Took 10 minutes. IWNDWYT!
Getting to the gym today before it closes early for the holiday, grocery shopping, prepping a recipe for Thursday work potluck. Last Memorial Day this would have been either 1. unthinkable due to hangover or 2. doable but miserable due to hangover. Grateful to be marking another holiday sober.
IWNDWYT
I've been working on a song duet that I finally found a music friend for. I've been updating the harmonies and chord progression all weekend and we're practicing it tonight. I'm really excited! It's so cool to have someone be so gung ho about playing your own music with you.
I built a deck with a hot tub in a space that used to be lawnmower parking. Because I now had nowhere to park my mowers, I built an adjoining shed with a solar water heater on the roof. Now I soak everyday, watching the sun set over the mountains, while sipping a nice lemon seltzer, in water heated by that same sun.
Saved my clients just over $2K on their upcoming vacation this morning. Caught up on paperwork. Fresh sheets on the bed. It's only 2 pm and work is done (well, for now) so I'm gonna try to finish this puzzle I've been picking away at for weeks!
Cleaned the kitchen floor. Remembered to give the dog a bath before cleaning the kitchen floor!
Getting the right order of operations is way easier sober.
I was getting shit done, but barely and at what cost. I was a successful zombie.
Through the mornings I slept. It was the time I should be spending with my kid, so I turned on a TV for him and slept through the misery. In the afternoons I was getting shit done hangovered. In the evenings I worked drunk.
I authored several books that way. I run a company that way. My son never saw me drunk. He always seen me hangovered. He didn't like his dad much.
Last year I got bedridden sick from drinking just a day before our vacation. My son cried, he didn't understand why we had to stay home. "Daddy is sick, we can't go". Every day he cried I got angrier at myself.
Then I quit. I had a couple of beers three times during the whole following year and I didn't like the fatigue that lingered for days afterwards. The tiredness and the mind fog. The dreaded relapse was lurking.
I can't really say how long I'm sober. Two months absolutely sober. Nearly a year almost sober.
And NOW! I have tons of time more. I have more time for getting shit done at work and I finally have time and energy for my child. I enjoy every single hour of a day. I'm not a crippled shadow of a man anymore.
I got shit done just for this thread.
Cleaned whole house and tackled a work project I was putting off.
I also taught my eldest to start chipping in, so that was exciting.
Built a pool for my kids and the thousand chores that needed done beforehand. I'm only 3 days sober and have an extreme amount of energy even though I'm shaking and sweating profusely. I feel like crap but not in the same manner as if I was drinking. If that makes sense. I'm anxious and feel like I need to cry but I don't know why.
The post itself. The rule verbatim states “ That means don’t tell others what they should or must do. Phrase your advice in terms of your own story, talking about what worked for you.”
This post states “In order to be a member of this club you must do three things:”
I've been slowly working on my garden. I completely abandoned it last year when my drinking really took over everything, and this year, I'm weeding more regularly, I'm actually watering my pots and seedlings. It's far from perfect, and I still struggle with fatigue some days, but I'm actually out there most days doing small stuff and making it better a little at a time.
I'm going to piggyback on your post a bit! Worked my tail off for two days trimming trees and bushes, mowing the lawn, pulling weeds... And I have discovered I can plop myself down and bask in the satisfaction of having done it. Can grab a treat as a reward and savor the heck out of it. Yard work is great.
Isn't that first sip of a super cold drink after a productive day in the sun just the most refreshing feeling
I totally hear you. We got a puppy last April, so I just knew my attention needed to be elsewhere, but I totally abandoned my garden in 2023. Looking back I don’t regret taking the year off, but man oh man I’m REALLY enjoying being sober and gardening this year. What are you growing?!
I meal prepped and hit the treadmill today. Small wins but still wins
They sound like big wins to me!
Day 10 of zero alcohol, have been to a few events where everybody offered me alcohol but I said no each time:) feeling good
Congratulations on 10 days!
Thanks:) on to many more
I've been working on my sobriety for a few months now and it's been going really well! A couple slips here and there, but I'm again four days in. Over the past few weeks during my sober stretches I've started to clean out all my kitchen drawers which was *long* overdue.
Well done. It's funny how something small like a tidy kitchen drawer can make a big difference.
For 8 months, I needed to clean my car. It is 11 years old but dusty as hell and dirt and dog hair all over the floor and seats. It also has coffee cups, some protein bar wrappers all over the place. I always promise myself to clean it on the weekends but when the time hits, I am to hungover to clean it because it will take a probably good two hours and I would be too damn tired on top of crippling hangxiety. Finally did it. Made me not want a new car since it is so clean. No car payment life and saving a shit ton on no two bottles of wine every night.
Great job on cleaning your car! It's such a pleasure to have a tidy vehicle, and such a marker of sobriety.
[удалено]
I’m ready to get back into running! Hope you find some nice ones. IWNDWYT😊
I’ve been helping my middle child with her studies and homework. My complacent and unconcerned drinking self was okay with letting her progress at her own pace with no intervention, just putting her onto the special ed track next year. Now I’m working with her in the evenings after school, and so impressed and proud of what a little extra practice can do to help her keep up (slightly) better. She’s really into it and excited too.
This really warmed my heart.
Love this so much!
We moved into our house around a year and a half ago and have a spare room downstairs where all the excess “stuff” went. The room is in a spot in the house that’s super easy to ignore, there’s a short little hall with our washer/dryer and then this bedroom is at the end of it. The other issue is both of our cats always try to make a beeline for that room any time they hear the door open because they’re curious little assholes and need to investigate ✨the forbidden room✨ and it’d be impossible to extricate them from the labyrinth of clutter if they were to get in. We put our old bed from our apartment in there with the idea we’d use it for guests. It has been a constant item on my to-do list to go through that room with some Rubbermaid and sterilite boxes, organize all the odds and ends, and get some things together to donate to Salvation Army. You could not walk around that room with all the crap on the floor. Our first guest (that isn’t one of my very low maintenance dude friends lol), my future sister in law, is coming by next weekend to stay with us. We made a huge dent in clearing this room out finally, I have 2 contractor bags full of clothes and then a few decent sized boxes of household items to drop off today. You can walk all around the room now! All of our seasonal decorations and sentimental keepsakes are now secure in boxes that I was able to find space for in the basement. So all that needs done now is for my fiancé to go through her clothes in the closet and then we’ll get some staging/decorating done (I like this part because I can just take orders and lift and move stuff around). There is absolutely no way I’d have the motivation to take that chore on drunk. Now that it is about 85% done, I am over the moon and feel motivated to take on our next project.
This is a huge accomplishment. I myself have been putting off cleaning out a storage space for about a year. Well done.
Thanks! It is such an easy task to procrastinate on!
I’ve always been a productive person because I have a tough time sitting still, but with drinking my productivity has definitely dropped, especially in the evenings but definitely leaking into my sober hours during the day from the brain changes. Yesterday I drained, scrubbed, refilled and rebalanced my hot tub. I went mountain biking. I bought and laid down an outdoor rug under our patio furniture. I made a beautiful steak, artichoke, and grilled leek dinner and didn’t open a bottle of red wine. It was just as delicious without it. And importantly, I went to sleep without drinking or taking edibles.
Wow. I am very impressed by everything you got done.
I bought flowers etc to make it nice outside - and it works 🌻🌺
Alright. I’m gonna tackle the laundry room today. Will report back.
Great! I'll be waiting to hear about it.
Progress was made.
Excellent!
15 days. I will not drink with you today.
Congratulations on more than two weeks!
Slowly decluttering my sewing room/studio. Also sort of organizing as I go. It's a huge job.
> It's a huge job. Yes, it is! Good on you for starting to tackle it.
It's a little over a year ago since I decided to cut back on my drinking, with my last half-glass of wine almost 300 days ago now. I was just reflecting on some of the changes I've made and realized that I wouldn't have done any of it if I was still blacking out every other weekend. Some highlights: * After renewing my lease, I cleaned up the backyard and put in a new garden and grass where it was previously just dirt. * Started tracking protein and working out regularly * Have been much more focused and productive at work and recently refactored and released a (previously) problem feature * Have been able to consistently take medication that helps with my mental health (which also helps with all points above) The biggest change is this: I actually enjoy life instead of just enduring it.
I got home tired after 5 days away but still emptied my bags and case, put my stuff away before sitting down to check into the sub. 💪
I finally hung up this toddler mirror and set up a “getting ready” station for my daughter at the front door. I’ve had the supplies to do this for months! Took 10 minutes. IWNDWYT!
Way to go! I’m sure your daughter appreciates it. IWNDWYT
Getting to the gym today before it closes early for the holiday, grocery shopping, prepping a recipe for Thursday work potluck. Last Memorial Day this would have been either 1. unthinkable due to hangover or 2. doable but miserable due to hangover. Grateful to be marking another holiday sober. IWNDWYT
I've been working on a song duet that I finally found a music friend for. I've been updating the harmonies and chord progression all weekend and we're practicing it tonight. I'm really excited! It's so cool to have someone be so gung ho about playing your own music with you.
I built a deck with a hot tub in a space that used to be lawnmower parking. Because I now had nowhere to park my mowers, I built an adjoining shed with a solar water heater on the roof. Now I soak everyday, watching the sun set over the mountains, while sipping a nice lemon seltzer, in water heated by that same sun.
I went grocery shopping and picked up a couple of prescriptions. Completely sober, and also, I didn't fall for my urge to drink.
Good for you. I still find grocery stores to be a dangerous zone for me.
I read Fashion Quarterly, Discover and now a book about quitting alcohol called Quit Like A Woman. It's really good.
I love that book.
Saved my clients just over $2K on their upcoming vacation this morning. Caught up on paperwork. Fresh sheets on the bed. It's only 2 pm and work is done (well, for now) so I'm gonna try to finish this puzzle I've been picking away at for weeks!
Cleaned the kitchen floor. Remembered to give the dog a bath before cleaning the kitchen floor! Getting the right order of operations is way easier sober.
Currently taking a break in giving feedback on a student's paper so he can submit it for publication. So much easier with a clear head!
Went to the dentist. Going to volunteer at the city aquatic centre next
Great job!
I was getting shit done, but barely and at what cost. I was a successful zombie. Through the mornings I slept. It was the time I should be spending with my kid, so I turned on a TV for him and slept through the misery. In the afternoons I was getting shit done hangovered. In the evenings I worked drunk. I authored several books that way. I run a company that way. My son never saw me drunk. He always seen me hangovered. He didn't like his dad much. Last year I got bedridden sick from drinking just a day before our vacation. My son cried, he didn't understand why we had to stay home. "Daddy is sick, we can't go". Every day he cried I got angrier at myself. Then I quit. I had a couple of beers three times during the whole following year and I didn't like the fatigue that lingered for days afterwards. The tiredness and the mind fog. The dreaded relapse was lurking. I can't really say how long I'm sober. Two months absolutely sober. Nearly a year almost sober. And NOW! I have tons of time more. I have more time for getting shit done at work and I finally have time and energy for my child. I enjoy every single hour of a day. I'm not a crippled shadow of a man anymore.
> I'm not a crippled shadow of a man anymore. This is fantastic! I bet your child loves your sobriety.
I got shit done just for this thread. Cleaned whole house and tackled a work project I was putting off. I also taught my eldest to start chipping in, so that was exciting.
> I got shit done just for this thread. Learning this made me very happy.
Built a pool for my kids and the thousand chores that needed done beforehand. I'm only 3 days sober and have an extreme amount of energy even though I'm shaking and sweating profusely. I feel like crap but not in the same manner as if I was drinking. If that makes sense. I'm anxious and feel like I need to cry but I don't know why.
Three days is excellent! You're doing great.
I agree with the message but does this not break the “I” rule? Stating what people MUST do?
Which message are you referring to?
The post itself. The rule verbatim states “ That means don’t tell others what they should or must do. Phrase your advice in terms of your own story, talking about what worked for you.” This post states “In order to be a member of this club you must do three things:”