Finding the Motivation to Quit Drinking
There are dozens and dozens of great reasons to quit drinking alcohol, from your physical health to your financial outlook, from your relationships and love life, to your mental and spiritual well-being.
If you haven't already, start thinking of the reasons YOU should quit drinking. The MORE reasons you come up with the EASIER it will be to get over your alcohol addiction. Furthermore, of all the reasons you come up with, there will be likely be ONE reason that will mean more to you than any other.
As has been said many times: "knowledge is power", and the more you study alcoholism the more knowledgeable you will become about how exactly it is harming you. Use this knowledge to find out what will motivate you to change your own behavior. By thinking of all the reasons you should quit or cut back on your drinking, you will discover the one reason that is more powerful than all the others.
What WILL Motivate You to Stop Drinking Alcohol?
So, what will motivate YOU? To find out WHY you need to quit or cut back on your alcohol consumption, take an honest look at your life and figure out which areas are suffering because of your addiction. Is it your health? Has your doctor told you that you had better quit drinking or you may have serious health issues? Or, have you already been in the hospital because of your drinking?
Is it financial? Maybe you're fed up with wasting so much money? Maybe you're in debt up to your eyeballs, and yet you're pissing money down the drain? Maybe YOUR reason has to do with your family? Perhaps you are on the verge of a divorce, and it's all because of your drinking? Maybe your kids are embarrassed to see you, because you always seem drunk, and have lost their respect? Try to pick the ONE AREA or PROBLEM in your life that is the biggest headache of all (no pun intended) and do something about it.
Finding the Motivation to Quit Drinking
Here is one way to figure out what will truly motivate you to stop drinking alcohol:
1. Make a list of all the areas of your life that your alcohol addiction is causing problems. Include everything, even if the list is several pages long, but make sure you have at least 5 problems written down.
2. Rank the problems in order, starting with the one you'd most like to change "if you could". If you have several problems marked as #1 then put a little more thought into it to figure out exactly WHICH one is the most important.
3. The problem or area you have ranked #1 is the one that means the most to you. Use it as your inspiration: it is the biggest reason you want to quit or cut back.
4. Write down at least a paragraph or two, preferably more, as to WHY overcoming this problem is so important to you. Go into great detail on the reasons why it would be so great to get this problem out of your life.
5. Now, start to DO SOMETHING about this ONE problem, no matter how big or small of a step you need to take. Constantly refer back to the reasons you had written down to help you stay motivated.
The key here is finding the ONE problem that motivates you to change ... and then DOING SOMETHING about your problem. Remember, "action" is your most powerful weapon. You can read every self-help book in the world, but nothing will change in your life until you start taking action.
You'll notice an amazing thing happening, by the way. When you start taking action on that one area that means the most to you, all the other areas of your life will start to improve as well. It's as if the universe is rewarding you for being proactive! 