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. (for example: Getting to my job on time; Constant family arguments; Feeling very unhealthy, I’m wasting so much money on booze; My sex life is really bad; My spouse hates the way I am; I know my kids no longer respect me; I’m always feeling sick)
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. It’s the area of your life that alcohol is causing the most heartache. Use it as your inspiration: it is the biggest reason you want to quit or cut back on your drinking.
4. Write down at least a paragraph or two, preferably more, as to why it is so important to you. Go into great detail on the reasons why it would be so great to get your drinking under control so you can start to feel good about this one area.
5. Now, start to DO SOMETHING about your drinking problem so that this ONE thing will turn from bad to good. It even doesn’t matter if you can only take a baby step towards sobriety, just TAKE THAT STEP and do something. 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! ♦