Every small decision is a step towards a new habit and a new way of living

Day 12 - 31 tips to stay sober in Dry January

I read a beautiful quote by art consultant Katarina Janoskova today which spoke to me:

“Every book makes a mark. Even if it doesn’t stay in your conscious memory.”

It got me thinking. Every small decision we make leaves its mark too, whether we can recall it or not.

I don’t remember every time I chose not to drink, or chose to step out of a situation that felt uncomfortable or triggering over the past 8 years. I actually remember very few.

But these decisions compounded over time and quietly became habits. Those habits became the framework for a new way of life for me, one I didn’t have to try so hard to keep to anymore. It became the way. The person I am.

In music, champagne is rolled out to celebrate every big moment. As a concert promoter, it’s a gift I used to give to a band if they sold out a tour or an important London show - a way of acknowledging their success.

I always gladly accept a glass for the “cheers moment”, but now I put my glass down untouched after, or hand it to someone else nearby who’s gleefully enjoying theirs. Until my perceptive wife Laura mentioned this at the kitchen counter over lunch the other day, I hadn’t really even considered that this had become my thing.

It’s just something I do now, a decision I made one time that became a habit I do now without thinking.

(photo credit: Laura Kidd)

If you’re tackling Dry January, or beginning a long term sober journey, then remembering the power of small decisions will help.

Those small decisions you make today will get you through the day.

They will get you through tomorrow, too.

And those decisions will soon become habits, and that collection of habits will become a framework for this new journey you’re embarking on.