Drink Less, Live More

Do you know what I’ve found as a huge hindrance to accomplish any new goals in my life - and in many of my clients as well?  Perfectionism.   Growing up were you told it had to be an A?  I truly believed you had to get A’s - I mean, in my family that’s how you got the full dollar from Aunt Betty.  And let me tell you - I wanted that cold cash.  I also wanted the praise.  I didn't want to have to answer why the B was a B and not an A.   As I moved through life the same beliefs hopped in the suitcase to come along with me.  College - same - after all - why would one go to college and not get A’s?  Isnt’ that how you get the best jobs?  As I moved into my career I landed in sales (let’s be honest - who grows up saying they want to be a salesperson?), and of course “the A” was hitting my revenue number.  You get paid to hit 100% - you get paid less if not.  So again - nothing less than perfect is the way it rolls.  ...

Before I dive in to today’s topic I have a funny - or ironic - story.  So on Sundays my husband and I have “exception days” - some of you may call it a "cheat" day.  Basically  it’s simply a planned day to eat off of our normal protocol.   I think it’s just about every Sunday I plan to get us some ice cream as our exception. Full transparency - I don’t plan the flavor ahead of time and when I actually get to the aisle I can not decide which flavor to get!   There are soooo many choices!  Seriously you guys - there are even options for the dog.  What happened to the days I worried the vanilla, chocolate, and strawberry were going to run together?  Typically the way it goes down, is I look at all the options and then tell myself I can’t make a choice and leave. Because I’m choosing none of them.  But we are always choosing to have the drink. You can always create the life you imagine. But here’s the funny part...

I recently did a Facebook Live where I discussed the importance of how you tell your story of your past, and I want to share some of that here.  Becoming aware of how you tell your story and deciding if you want to continue has been one of the most beneficial tools I've seen for a number of people. Your past is over, and in this moment it only exists in your mind.  You may tell the story as if you are just relaying observations, telling the "facts" of it.  But the truth is, what we think are facts are typically just our memorized thoughts.  Have you ever had a recollection of what happened and a sibling or spouse reminds you of it differently?  It happens to me all the time.  So when you tell your story how does it feel?  Does it cause you pain today, in a way that holds you back from moving in a direction that gets you to your goals? I want to share an example with you to get a better idea.  One of our dogs died 2 years ago in October. ...

Oh the start of football season - the time of year I lose my husband to work.  As I sat at his college game opener this past weekend I was thinking alot about the ladies I want to help, and how football has so many parallels to the work we do. Coaches go into each game with a plan. Having a plan is one of the most important tools we use in drinking less. You have learned to over desire alcohol, and now in order to unlearn it, you plan with your managing mind how much you will drink. This is so important to building new neural pathways, and just like in football, takes repetition and practice.  The more you practice, the better you get. Plays don’t always go as planned . Dropped balls, interceptions, and fumbles are part of the game. But a team doesn’t just stop playing when this happens - and neither should you. You learn from each missed plan, figure out what happened and try again.  We all love when our team comes from behind after a set back.  You too...