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Every January for years, I wrote down the same three New Year’s resolutions: get started a coaching company, be more authentic and drink less alcohol. Little did I know it was my dependence on alcohol that kept me from taking the necessary steps to start the coaching and speaking business I’d daydreamed about from my open office at Google.
Year after year, another January 1 rolled around, and the consequences of my drinking piled up. My entrepreneurial ambitions were still stuck in my diary.
I was blind to the fact that alcohol was the main hindrance to my entrepreneurial dreams. It was only by completely giving up alcohol and adopting a sober lifestyle that I was able to start and grow the business.
Related: I Quit Drinking: 7 Ways It Changed My Life And Business
Alcohol is ingrained in the fabric of our lives: parties, office events, girls’ nights out, concerts, funerals, dating and relaxing on the couch, it’s all about a drink in hand.
I couldn’t imagine giving up the “work-hard-play-hard” moniker that I had come to not only enjoy, but rely on. Who was I if I wasn’t “killing it” Monday through Friday and gathering my co-workers for happy hour? It was a surprising proposal to rebuild my identity from scratch.
Eventually, the idea of continuing this work-hard-play-hard lifestyle became more painful than the uncertainty of a life without alcohol. Something broke inside me and I finally admitted that alcohol and I were done, over and would never get back together. This was the starting point, the beginning of a new identity that would materialize as I slowly began to change my relationship with alcohol.
Related: Healthy Body, Healthy Mind: Bridging the Gap Between the Physical and Mental
Because I had already done the impossible, to stop drinking, I had a newfound confidence and belief that absolutely anything was possible. This belief fueled the inevitable ups and downs of the entrepreneurial journey. Studies show that quitting drinking is linked to increased motivation and self-reliancewhat I found true.
Both getting sober and starting a business required new habits: getting up early to build a website, only saying “Yes” to essential projects at my day job, refusing dinners to take my coaching course, and my speaking skills at toastmasters sharpen week after week. These habits were made easier by the sudden surge of hours once lost to hangovers, the energy once lost to bedtime at 2 a.m., poor eating, and motivation once lost to low self-esteem. Alcohol is a depressant and can cause problems with sleeping, concentration and anxiety. I need all my resources to start and run this new business.
In my sober community, I learned that I didn’t have to stop drinking forever; I just had to do it one day at a time. Likewise, I didn’t have to build a whole company, I just had to take small steps every day: attend the networking meeting, practice a coaching tool, hire an accountant, etc. The daily repetition of these small actions eventually led to a complete customer base, an executed marketing plan and the capital needed to quit my job at Google.
Related: 13 Things You Can Do Every Day to Be Smarter, Healthier, and Happier
Another thing happened that I didn’t expect: my self-esteem skyrocketed. This was the starting point for my new identity based on integrity and authenticity. Finally I became the person I wanted and always knew I could be. Instead of making excuses to stay in bed with a hangover, I kept to my commitments. Instead of fearing getting caught up in my web of lies, I could sleep at night knowing I had nothing to lie about. My tastes and hobbies have changed. I have expressed my opinion.
My business thrived because of it. I had truly transformed my life from the inside out and could help others do the same from experience. My clients were drawn to my confidence and conviction. Before I left my day job, my boss noticed, and I got a promotion for working smarter and using my speaking chops to pitch bigger deals.
I didn’t give up alcohol to start a business. But the lessons I’ve learned from changing my life and doing the impossible have made me a better businessroundups.org and coach.
