Yesterday marks a Deuce. Today I have no plans to break my streak. I’d like to continue onto a Triple and truly believe that’s in the cards. Better than that: today I’ve been pot free for 30 days – a pot free fortnight times 2! (I realized that a fortnight is two weeks after I came up with the title for this post, but liked the title too much to change it!)
Major physical and psychological changes I’ve noticed in 30 days of being pot free:
- Improved mental focus
- My memory is sooooooo much better. Unbelievably better, in fact! I’d say good as new!
- No munchies = less temptation = improved weight loss
- I’m dreaming again! Like all the time, every night. Really missed that!
- Greatly improved motivation and energy
- Increased creative drive
- Reading way more books (and remembering them better – see #2)
On my walk this morning, I reflected on how my inclination to drink beer is diminishing. It is not completely eradicated like marijuana (afterall, while I’m pot free, I’m not beer free), but the desire not to drink is gaining power over the once ever present, ever nagging desire to drink.
The desire not to drink is gaining power over the desire to drink.
Still, I find it helps to stay distracted during the ‘vulnerable’ drinking hours of 4-8 pm. Sometimes I’ll play guitar until my hands are exhausted and my forearms are burning. Then I’ll pivot to the Wii and play some old video games for a while. Sometimes, I’ll do some coloring in my adult coloring book. Other times I’ll veg out and watch classic Twilight Zones or Southpark.
Unproductive vs Counterproductive
During my walk, I reflected on my unproductive time mismanagement. I realize that while pursuing distractions may not be the best use of my time, unproductive time is superior to counterproductive time. There’s no doubt that ‘drinking as a sport’ is about as counterproductive as it gets! Being pot free for a month has demonstrated how much more productive I can be, since smoking pot as a sport is hardly a better use of time than drinking – unless, of course, you’re entering a pie eating contest. Combined, marijuana and alcohol addictions are a productivity shitshow.
Downing 6-8+ beers (and often washing those down with intermittent bong hits) not only adds lots of unnecessary empty calories (can you say beer belly + munchies?), but also adds insult to injury. These nefarious activities have liver and digestive system impacts and cause serious sleep deprivation. Often, I am left exhausted, demotivated, bloated, and with a nasty, lingering hangover.
Let’s face it, sleep deprivation is awful even without alcohol’s assistance. And I can no longer justify subjecting myself to its detriments on purpose. The benefits of being pot free have demonstrated without a question, that there is a better way to live. Even though weed doesn’t affect my sleep the same way alcohol does, I always feel run down and foggy the next morning. And let’s face it, no matter how mild the hangover, we’re not ourselves when we’re not feeling our best.
Counterproductive to Productive
The goal then is to evolve from counterproductive through nonproductive so I eventually arrive at increasingly productive patterns of behavior. Therefore, non productive activities, such as playing video games, are transitional and solely for the purpose of providing needed distraction during the critical 4-8pm drinking window. They are a bridge. That is all.
With my daily meditation practice liberating me from marijuana use (heck, I’m pot free for 30 days!), and reducing my urge to drink, these nonproductive substitutions appear be delivering what’s needed for the time being.
Today’s goal – Go for the Triple.
Jump to the Day 9.
When you respect your own Inner Nature, you know where you belong. You also know where you don’t belong. One man’s food is often another man’s poison, and what is glamorous and exciting to some can be a dangerous trap to others.
Benjamin Hoff – The Tao of Pooh
