Alcohol's Three Paths

Tanner MacIvor
Jun 28, 2024
3 min read

Quote I Loved:

"The cardinal sin of alcohol is it is a streak breaker. By reducing alcohol, I have streaks more frequently, but they are often broken by a night of drinking. When you don’t drink, you maximize the ability to have a long streak, which is more powerful than a bunch of small streaks getting frequently broken up, because it’s hard to get back in a streak. The choice is between 1) stopping drinking and maximizing, 2) drinking responsibly but not maximizing, 3) drinking but forcing yourself to not break streaks (not likely)" - Anturas Coaching Client

Things I Am Thinking About:

Today, I get to quote one of my clients! My client sent me the above text, and it's been bouncing around my head all week.

For a little context, when we talk about "streaks," we are talking about maintaining healthy habits. The idea being that a few simple, disciplined habits practiced every day can transform your life.

For my client, alcohol is a "streak breaker." The thing with streaks is that they are easier to maintain than to start. It's the law of momentum. So, when we decide to indulge in a streak breaker, we are making our lives more difficult. If this happens once in a blue moon, it's not a big deal. If it happens every week or multiple times a week, it's exhausting. We never find a rhythm, and we are constantly battling our healthy habits.

So what do we do?

I think the three options he mapped out are a good place to start the conversation.

Option 1: Stop drinking and maximize life

Option 2: Drink and accept you are not maximizing life to your fullest potential

Option 3: Drink and force yourself to maximize as much as possible

My client has tested each of these options, and they are difficult for different reasons.

Option 1: It's hard to tell your friends, family, and work that you are not drinking and stick to it.

Option 2: It's hard to wake up after drinking, feeling regret, frustration, and knowing you could be doing more.

Option 3: It's hard to motivate yourself and perform at your best when you are hungover, tired, and fuzzy-headed.

No matter what option we choose, there is going to be difficulty. Once we can accept this, then we can make the intentional decision of what "hard" we want.

It's important to remember that whatever decision we make right now doesn't have to be a forever decision. That's the wonderful thing about the seasons of life. During one season, you might keep the alcohol on the shelf and attack becoming the person you want to be. Another season, you might kick your feet up, have a beer, and enjoy the fruits of your labor. Another season, you might be able to do both.

Ultimately, your goals are going to drive what season you are in.

(For me, option 3 is not a sustainable option. I might be able to pull it off for a season or two, but eventually, it catches up)

Questions I'm Asking:

What do you think? Is there another option we missed? What season of life are you in?