Prep for our January Dry Challenge
Prep for our January Dry Challenge
Ready to Grow in Sobriety, Movement, and Faith in 2024?!
If you’ve landed on this page or perhaps have listened to an episode of Decidedly Dry, I’m gonna go out on a limb and assume at some point in your life, you’ve asked yourself that burning question: “Am I drinking too much alcohol?”
Well have no fear, your sober pal Jess is here!
We are just days away from a New Year and this is the absolute perfect time to get your head in the right place and to physically get organized. There are many of you who embrace a New Year. It’s a fresh start, a new beginning, a chance to develop (and sustain) life-giving habits. On the other hand, there are some of you who despise talking about goals and intentions. It feels overwhelming and it’s easiest to just avoid the conversation all together.
Guess what? It doesn’t have to be overwhelming and you’ll be simply amazed at how much you can achieve when alcohol is off the table.
Starting January 1st, I have pinpointed 3 areas I’m determined to grow in: sobriety, movement, and faith. And friend, I’d love for you to join me! Cause let’s be honest, it really is so much better when we grow together!
Below you’ll find all of the tools, tips, and links that I’m going to be utilizing this month (and beyond). I highly recommend you take advantage of them if you’d like to join me in this January challenge…
The Habit Tracker
Save this image below and print a copy for yourself. For everyday you achieve one of the goals, fill that square in and watch your progress! If you have any issues saving the image, please email: decidedlydry@gmail.com and the Habit Tracker will be emailed directly to you.
The “Sober” aka DRY Piece:
Grab a paper and a pen and let’s dive in.
Before we get started, I want you to do me a favor. Raise your right hand and repeat after me, “I promise to answer these questions honestly and thoroughly. If I’m not truthful, I am only hurting myself.” Alright, lower your hand and answer the following:
How does alcohol make me feel? Does it make me feel full of energy? Healthy? Focused? Dependable? A good example?
Do I like the way alcohol makes me act? Am I being authentic? The real me?
Do I have meaningful conversations while drinking? Do I remember them the next day?
How do I feel in the mornings? Am I constantly fighting feelings of shame? Nursing a hangover? Suffering from headaches? Fatigue?
How is alcohol impacting my sleep?
Do I make good food choices while I’m drinking?
How much money could I save by removing alcohol?
Do I spend a lot of time drinking or even just thinking about alcohol? What kind of things could I do with all that extra time?
Do I want to quit drinking, but have tried, and just can’t seem to limit or stop?
What would my life look like if I wasn’t drinking?
The next step is an important one. I want you to take a deep breath and really analyze your answers. Read each word and let them sink in.
My hope is that by answering them honestly and taking the time to read them over (maybe even more than once), you’ll gain clarity on whether or not you’re drinking too much.
Friend, there’s no one size fits all approach when it comes to addressing our relationship with alcohol. But a great first step is simply recognizing that there might in fact be a drinking issue at play and now is the perfect time to do something about it.
If you finish this exercise and decide it’s time to make a change, let me be the first to tell you just how amazing and brave you are for making this HUGE decision! It’s absolutely worth it.
To get started, I’d first advise you to get any and all alcohol out of the house if you can. Think about it this way, would you have a big, delicious chocolate cake in the fridge if you were trying to remove sugar? Remove the temptation! Second, tell yourself you’re going to take a break. Avoid using the word ‘forever’. Just make a goal to go one whole week without drinking. Track how you’re feeling each day and anything else you want to record. Think about listening to some sober podcasts, check out a book on sobriety or a memoir from the library, talk to someone about how you’re feeling and if you can, find an accountability partner or a support group that can help you find success in this exciting new chapter. (My Top Favs are included on the resources list below!)
Lastly, if and when you feel that urge to pour a drink, I challenge you to pause and ask yourself this question, “How is alcohol going to make <blank> better right now?”
Learning to pause, play the tape forward, and remind yourself that alcohol really doesn’t make anything better, will get your head back in the right space.
The Movement Piece:
Are you familiar with the latest exercise recommendations? American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM for short) recommends:
All healthy adults aged 18–65 years should participate in moderate intensity aerobic physical activity for a minimum of 30 minutes on five days per week, or vigorous intensity aerobic activity for a minimum of 20 minutes on three days per week.
Every adult should perform activities that maintain or increase muscular strength and endurance for a minimum of two days per week.
Intentionally moving your body regularly is one of the most important things you can do for your health. Being physically active can improve your brain health, help manage weight, reduce the risk of disease, strengthen bones and muscles, and improve your ability to do everyday activities.
For those of you removing alcohol, why not replace it with a life-giving, healthy habit such as exercise? Now hear me out, I’m not saying go all out and train for a half-marathon. I’m saying simply mooooovvve to start. Here are some ideas:
Walking
Hiking
Running
Cycling
Swimming
Rowing
Structured Weight Training
Calisthenics and Bodyweight Exercise
Dance
Yoga and Pilates
And any other form of movement
I’m not here to tell you which activity to do – but think about the types of movement that you actually find fun, fulfilling, or you can take part in socially. These are the easiest to stick to, the best to invest your time and effort into, and they’ll make you healthier while you build consistency and progress. That’s a win-win in my book.
The Faith Piece:
Along with continuing to stay dry and intentionally moving, the last piece is a special one to me. 2023 has opened my eyes and made me very God-Curious. Growing in my faith and learning about God is yet another way I’m trying to become the best version of myself. After reading the 4 gospels, I want more and have decided it’d be amazing to read through the entire Bible.
Not gonna lie - out of the three goals I’ve established for myself this year, this one feels the most daunting, which makes me wonder if that’s because it may be the most important?
As a new believer and a first-time Bible reader, I knew there was no way I could do this on my own. That’s why I’ll be following the Bible Recap Guide! Everything you need to know is on their website: https://www.thebiblerecap.com/start .
In a nutshell, what does it entail: We’ll read about 2 pages out of the Bible per day and then listen to a short podcast (~8 minutes per day). Tara Leigh Cobble, the host of The Bible Recap will highlight and summarize that day’s Bible reading in a casual, easy to understand way to not only help you read scripture but to love reading it!
At the end of each week in January, I’ll be checking in with YOU via email with some discussion questions and journal prompts. There’ll be an opportunity for you to share your takeaways, or as Tara Leigh calls them - your “God Shots”, and interact with others on this journey with us.
Whew! That was a lot! A lot of info, a lot of reading, but a whole lotta good too, am I right?
One last thing I want to mention is if you’re here and only want to focus on one piece, DO IT. If you want to focus on 2, DO IT. All three? LET’S GO!
This challenge is not about perfection. It’s about taking an exciting step to bettering yourself and seeing what we all can accomplish when we put in the work! I’m so thrilled to get to know you, lock arms with you, and make this one of the best January's yet. My hope is that you discover the many benefits of staying alcohol-free and realize that fueling, loving, and respecting our bodies (inside and out) is so incredibly important.
Get ready for a transformative and amazing month, friends!
