Probably along with a million other people, granted, but I'm more serious at it than them. I stayed pretty sober on Hogmanay and indeed spilled the single bottle of beer I saved to drink (on my own) after the bells. So that's given me at least a one day head start on all the other dry-outs but more like four days judging by the amount of people having one last tear-up on the 4th.
I stayed off the booze for a couple of weeks in one stretch last year and for a month in total, bar one or two glasses of wine or a fly beer. I'm saying that like it's an accomplishment when it's actually pretty damning.
I've been mulling the idea for a while (I have an Evernote titled "Why I need to Stop Drinking" dated 5th Feb 2013) but now appears to be the time to go ahead with it. It feels right.
I'm not daunted at this point because over the last year I've made a few other lifestyle changes that seemed hard work at first but very quickly became the new normal and very rewarding. I stopped smoking in July and took up running shortly thereafter. Both have provided an immeasurable fillip to my physical and mental health and stopping alcohol will only provide a further boost. I am going to be insufferably chirpy.
Drinking is expensive and I don't really have any spare money. I earn a good wage and live a nice standard of life but I'm financially irresponsible so there's nothing to fall back on. If I lose my job I'm homeless tomorrow. This is possibly the biggest insecurity in my life. Not having to buy booze will mean it's easy for me to fix this.
Alcohol destroys my fitness, even in small quantities. I'm quite serious about the running and it's incredible how poorly I perform after drinking. I've entered the Edinburgh Marathon on the 25th May (and the Inverness Half Marathon on 9th March as a warm up) and the thought of being able to cross that line in a good time is the thing that will help me say FUCK YOU to temptation.
So that's me, dry until May 25th at least. I feel sorry for my friends.
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