A few months ago, I received an email from a clearly intelligent person.
He thanked me for the information provided on Fit Recovery. He said that he had read every article.
Then, he listed a large number of unrelated reasons that the strategies on Fit Recovery would never work for him.
He said that this bummed him out, because he was also sure that AA would not work for him, and neither would SMART Recovery, and he did not like the idea of visiting “shrinks.” He had tried none of these strategies.
He had tried zero strategies.
This person failed before he had even begun.
He had apparently learned about a lot of potential strategies, and he had implemented nothing – except for the only way to fail.
Fortune Favors The Bold
Self-transformation isn’t as hard as it looks.
It simply requires a habit of mind that most people never muster, including those so-called “normies.”
This habit of mind compounds on itself over time.
Alcohol recovery, getting into shape, designing your perfect diet, finding your purpose in life – these all boil down to one habit:
The habit of immediately taking action after learning new information.
Success in any endeavor, including alcohol recovery, is really not more complicated than that.
The “secret” of successful people is that they implement new strategies more quickly than other people.
They try more often, fail more often, and they succeed more often.
This is a way of life, not a one-time easy trick, which is why I say that it is a habit.
It is actually a warrior mindset, consisting of equal parts fearlessness and openness.
The Fail-Proof Path To Success (In Anything)
I had this simple epiphany the other day while I was taking a walk in nature.
Every time I’ve achieved a desired outcome, I completed three distinct phases:
- First, I learned about a new strategy (usually, I had to look for it)
- Next, I implemented the strategy (usually, I failed at least partially)
- Finally, I modified the strategy until I achieved my desired outcome
This is a fail-proof plan. It can be repeated over and over again until you succeed.
The only way to fail with this plan is to give up. The only way to give up is to stop taking action.
If you haven’t taken any action toward your desired outcome, then you’re currently failing.
Which is not a big deal, because you can stop failing right now by taking action.
Stop talking and start doing:
- Write out that alcohol taper plan and paste it on your fridge.
- Buy every supplement that you need to make your experience as comfortable as possible.
- Write out your ideal morning and evening routines, and tape them to your bathroom mirror.
- Buy every book on self-transformation that’s ever been written (I’m a big fan of Tony Robbins).
- Read every night until you can’t hold your eyes open any longer – whether this takes you 1 page or 20.
- A few weeks from now, buy that gym membership and get into the habit of working out when you used to drink.
Believe in yourself, invest in yourself, and you’re bound to get to where you want to go!!
Why Normal People Fail
How many people do you know who spend their lives talking about things that they never even begin to accomplish?
You know, those so-called “normal” people who have no trouble drinking moderately but talk endlessly about wanting to get in shape, master a passion, or start a business.
The average person is paralyzed by unconscious fear.
Most people fear failure. They don’t want to take a risk, experience disappointment, and think less of themselves.
Others fear success. They don’t want to leave their comfort zones. Failure scares them, but not as much as the degree to which success might change their lives.
All of these people fear uncertainty, which is the inevitable result of either failure or success.
They place barriers between themselves and what they claim to want. They make elaborate excuses for inaction.
Sometimes, they take action and then give up as soon as the possibility of failure becomes apparent.
Instead of modifying their plan, they use their half-assed attempt as evidence that they cannot succeed.
It’s all good though, because deep down in their unconscious minds, they’re not mentally prepared to succeed anyway.
Are You Prepared To Succeed?
I wrote this article because I remember when alcohol made me complacent.
I spent my time devising strategies to drink every day, rather than learning strategies to free myself from this abysmal trap.
After I quit drinking, I learned a lot about the nature of alcohol – and about myself.
I learned that alcohol increases unconscious fear by skewing neurotransmitter levels.
During all of those years that I refused to quit drinking, I was neither a coward nor a moral failure.
I was simply as dreadful as any “normal” person – and then some, thanks to the fear-amplifying effects of alcohol.
I needed something to kick my ass into gear and wake up my True Self.
That “something” came in the form of getting so sick from alcohol withdrawal that I missed work for two days in a row.
I could have recovered much sooner if I’d had a role model to guide me along the way.
The fastest way to master anything is to find someone who has already done it. All you have to do is emulate their strategies and tweak them until they work for you. (If you’ve read Tony Robbins, then you know that I’ve just paraphrased him.)
If your goal is to transcend alcohol and build the life you were born to live, then it’s a good thing you’ve found Fit Recovery.
But I can’t take MASSIVE ACTION for you.
What are you waiting for?
Another excellent article Chris. This is the truth although most people, (including myself) want to hear it. Thank you for stating the truth and all the work that you do.
Thank you Bob!!
Been following you since January and you have really helped me a lot. I’ve quit and started drinking several times, each time learning a bit more and doing things a little different. I’ve quit again and this time I realize that I need to schedule my day better. I tend to loose focus gradually if I don’t do this. This article rings true to me for sure. Thanks a bunch!
Awesome James, thanks for sharing this and good luck to you!