1000 Days Alcohol-Free!

1000 days.
143 weeks.
33 months.
2.74 years.
$15,000 saved.*
485k calories not consumed.*
*Very conservative estimates.

Those are the numbers that I woke up to back on November 19th, 2020. But they don’t even begin to tell my story since I took my last swig from a bottle of Captain Morgan late on the night of February 22nd, 2018.

In truth, I stopped actively tracking my time AF on a day-by-day basis a long time ago, but I still like to use milestones like this one to reflect back and see how far I’ve come. When I first started out on this journey this milestone seemed so far off in the distance. I remember having a conversation with a friend who at the time was three-years alcohol-free himself, and being in total awe of how anyone could possibly accomplish that feat. But here I am. Dammit. I did it. Four digits.

Since February 2018, I’ve ridden well over 2500 km on my mountain bike, including a single 158 km ride (my personal best to date), and 350 km in the last 10 days. I’ve lived through the sudden death of my dad and subsequent selling of our family home and settlement of his estate. I’ve started my own coaching business to help others who struggle with their relationship with alcohol. I’ve watched my favorite basketball team win the NBA Championship, my favorite hockey team let me down annually, and attended over 100 concerts. I’ve also lost some good friends along the way, both literally and virtually, but have come to terms with the fact that we meet people for a reason and that not all relationships are meant to be life-long. Throw in a global pandemic with all the stress, anxiety and fear that came with it that we’ve all had to navigate, and it’s been quite the ride.

These are just some of the many ups and downs I’ve experienced since I made that one single decision. But that’s just life. I’ve lived 100% of it...and I remember all of it. All the smiles and laughter. All the anger and tears. My journey has allowed me to rediscover my true self, warts and all. And that, friends, is priceless. I still don’t always like myself. I suppose that’s par for the course for someone who has always had self-esteem issues and masked them for three-plus decades with booze. But I’m finally learning to live with myself. I can now sit with myself in peace. The voices have all but stopped. It’s an amazing place to be.

Do I have regrets? Of course I do. I wouldn’t be human if I didn’t wish I could go back and undo some of the many mistakes I’ve made in that time. But that said, not one of those regrets is around my decision to remove alcohol from my life. It was the single greatest decision (and accomplishment) of my life.

To those of you just starting out on your individual journeys, know that not that long ago, I was exactly where you are now. I understand how it feels to be at the mercy of what Craig Beck refers to as “the Evil Clown” (aka. Wolfie, aka. The Wine Witch).

But there is hope. Be curious and be open to explore your personal relationship with alcohol. Don’t be afraid to be authentic and discover your true self. Believe in yourself! You are amazing without alcohol...you don’t need it! Embrace discomfort (it will come!) as part of the process. And above all, enjoy the fact that you’ve made a brave decision that can and will transform your life. Next stop for me...3 years of alcohol freedom. It’s surreal just to think about it. ️️