It's January.
You know what that means.
The gyms are packed. Everyone's doing Dry January. Social media is flooded with declarations of new beginnings and fresh starts.
And you? You're thinking about your drinking again.
Maybe you've already made the promise: "This year will be different."
Maybe you've signed up for Dry January, determined to prove you can do it. Or maybe you're just quietly telling yourself that this time - this time - you'll get it under control.
Here's what I need to tell you: You've made this promise before.
I'm not saying that to be cruel. I'm saying it because it's true. And if we don't acknowledge that truth, we'll keep repeating the same pattern.
The Resolution Cycle
Let me guess how this usually goes.
January 1st arrives full of hope and determination. You pour the last of the wine down the sink. You delete the delivery apps. You tell yourself this is it - the year everything changes.
And for a while, it works.
Days turn into weeks. You feel better. Clearer. Proud of yourself. Maybe you even start to wonder what all the fuss was about. Maybe you didn't have a problem after all.
Then February arrives.
Or March. Or maybe you make it all the way to summer.
But eventually, the voice starts: "You've proven you can stop. One drink won't hurt. You've got this under control now."
And just like that, you're back where you started. Except now you're also carrying the weight of another broken promise.
Sound familiar?
Why Willpower Isn't Enough
Here's the thing about New Year's resolutions: they rely entirely on willpower.
And willpower is a terrible foundation for lasting change.
Willpower works when you're motivated. When the pain of your last hangover is still fresh. When you're disgusted with yourself and determined to be better.
But willpower evaporates the moment life gets hard. Or boring. Or stressful. Or celebratory.
It's not that you're weak. It's that you're trying to solve the wrong problem.
You're treating your drinking like it's a discipline issue when it's actually an identity issue.
The Real Question
If you've made this promise before and broken it, the question isn't: "How do I find more willpower this time?"
The question is: "What needs to change so I don't need willpower?"
Because here's what I've learned in my own eight years of sobriety and working with clients: people who stay sober aren't relying on discipline. They've changed something deeper.
They've changed who they are.
They haven't just stopped drinking. They've become people who don't drink.
And there's a massive difference between those two things.
This Time Can Be Different
I'm not here to tell you that Dry January is pointless or that resolutions never work.
What I'm saying is this: if you've made and broken this promise before, it's time to try something different.
Not just another month without alcohol.
Not just another test of your willpower.
But an actual transformation in how you see yourself and your relationship with alcohol.
That's what makes change stick. Not motivation. Not discipline. But a fundamental shift in identity.
What Comes Next?
So here you are. Early January. Everyone around you is talking about their resolutions and fresh starts.
And you're wondering if this time will be different.
It can be.
But not if you keep approaching it the same way.
Not if you're relying on willpower to carry you through.
Not if you're just white-knuckling your way to February.
The promise you've made before doesn't have to define you. But it should inform you.
It should tell you that what you've been trying isn't working. That you need something more than motivation and determination.
You need support. You need tools. You need a different approach entirely.
This year can be different. But only if you do something different.
Book a free discovery call. We'll talk honestly about where you are and whether my approach fits what you need.
If we're a good match, we'll work together. If not, we'll know and maybe I can point you toward someone or something else.
Either way, you'll have clarity about your next step.
