Identifying Your “Why”
Here at Reframe, we often refer to your “why.” This piece is such an integral part of pursuing an alcohol-free life that it warrants further explanation. Your “why” is the foundation, the motivation, and the vehicle that sustains your path through alcohol-free living.
In simple terms, your “why” is the biggest reason(s) you are taking a look at your relationship with alcohol.
The practice of identifying these reasons is crucial to this path, because your “why” is:
what brought you to examining your relationship with alcohol
what motivates you to abstain from alcohol use, especially when it is difficult
what transforms your path over time
Just as no two alcohol-free paths are the same, no two “whys” will be the same. Most people on this journey have multifaceted “whys” - several key motivations for continuing their alcohol-free journey.
Such motivations may include
💪 Physical motivations: athletic goals, disease prevention, interference with important medications, sleep improvements, general health and wellness
😃 Emotional motivations: improved self-esteem, improved mental health, feelings of integrity and alignment, reducing shame experiences from actions taken while intoxicated
🥰 Motivating relationships: to repair or improve relationships with specific friends and family, to be a part of a community, to be able to show up for those who depend on us
🏙️ Social motivations: to be able to perform at a job, to reduce risk of legal repercussions like DUIs, to reduce negative consequences from intoxication in social settings
