[Photo by Don LaVange]
If you’ve talked to me lately, you’ve prolly heard me talk about SMART goals.
Some of you may already know about these, but I didn’t until my friend Erin intro’d me to them a couple months ago, when both of us were looking to make some changes in our lives.
SMART goals are:
Specific
Measurable
Action-oriented
Realistic
Timed
Apparently, these are the qualities for setting goals so that one might actually achieve them. Which explains why my “I will drink less in the future” goals never went anywhere.
So my goal for the new year: I will not drink for 2 weeks.
I realize that the “timed” part would be taken by most to mean that I would cut back my drinking to a certain point by a certain time — for good. However, I’ve decided that it’s more realistic to set a 2-week goal, so that I can declare victory relatively soon.
Then maybe I’ll throw a cocktail party to celebrate –
Update, 1/8/07: Goal achieved! 50% of it…
congrats – i’m glad to hear you are spreading the good word (being SMART that is). i am always around to help with sober activities :)
and i am shamed by how much SMARTer your goals are than mine. i must do more to catch up.
Comment by erin — January 2, 2007 @ 3:47 pm
Good luck, and don’t be afraid to drink afterword in celebration. I really need to do something similar about my smoking. Over the last ten or so years my record abstinence was nine days:-(. Again, good luck, and let us know about your progress.
Comment by Fletch — January 2, 2007 @ 5:05 pm
I was trying to think of the last time I may’ve gone 2 weeks without drinking — I’m guessing it was in 99 or 98. If not, definitely in 97. It wasn’t an almost-daily thing until a few years ago though.
Thanks for the offer to help, erin :) The trouble is that often, when I’m actively trying not to drink, I get v. cranky and tired, and just don’t wanna inflict that on other people. But then I feel alone and isolated. Not sure how to get around this quandary. My current plan’s to read a cheery book — Dostoevsky! — while listening to music.
Somewhat serendipitously, I’ve had a bad cold since yesterday, which has me focusing on nothing but my symptoms. I know there’s alcohol in the Nyquil, but I only took the recommended dosage –
Comment by Siel — January 2, 2007 @ 9:43 pm
I’ve gone on long plane trips without nicotine in any form and I know what it’s like. The minute someone else approaches you, you snear at them with the ol’ “fuck off.” Luckily, I can get by with a lozenge. I just wish I could move beyond them only for emergencies, or when I’m prohibited from lighting up.
Keep us posted. If you booze daily, start out smaller than 14 days. Try two or three days, then work up to five, then a week, and so on.
I’m not quite sure Crime and Punishment would put you on the mend, but it’s worth a try!
Comment by Fletch — January 3, 2007 @ 8:51 pm