Est. Tampa · MMXXVI Vol. I / No. 004

THE PROOF

The First Week A planning guide for the familiar evening hour MMXXVI
Field Guide No. 004 —Make a plan for your evening— 7 Days · Practical Planning

•Filed Under·The First Week

The first 7 days. Make room for support.

The evening pour can become the signal that you finally get to stop. If you're choosing a week without alcohol, think about that hour before it arrives.

You may still have dinner to make, work to finish and a calendar that doesn't slow down. A practical plan can give you fewer decisions to make in the middle of it.

This is a guide to routines and reflection. It isn't a detox plan, and nobody can tell you exactly how each day will feel.

The One Line
What would make the familiar hour easier tonight?

— From The First Week

The Proof · Stay in touch

Want to hear what comes next?

The planning guide is free below. Save this page or print it from your browser; no email is needed. You can also sign up for letters and updates from The Proof.

    By signing up, you'll receive letters and updates from The Proof. Unsubscribe anytime.

    Day 01·The plan

    Look at the evening before you're in it.

    What time do you usually pour? What is happening around that moment? Write down one thing you can arrange earlier: dinner, a drink you like, a quieter evening or someone to call.

    Days 02 to 03·The familiar hour

    Try a different signal that the day is over.

    Close the laptop, change clothes, take a shower or sit down with something cold. Choose what fits your actual evening. If an old routine makes things harder, you can change that routine.

    Days 04 to 05·Adjust the plan

    What helped, and what needs changing?

    Write down what made one evening easier. Was it having dinner ready, talking to somebody or leaving a situation early? Keep what helped. Give yourself room to change what didn't.

    Days 06 to 07·The check-in

    What do you want from the next week?

    Notice your own experience without grading it against somebody else's. What did you learn about the evening hour? What remains difficult? What support would you like before making your next choice?

    The pattern

    The familiar hour deserves a closer look.

    Sometimes the question underneath the pour is how you get to rest, or whether anybody sees how much you're carrying. You can explore that question without promising a whole new life by next Sunday.

    Save this page or print it from your browser. Come back when you want to plan an evening.

    — Lo Welch

    Founder·The Proof

    Featured on Recovery.com, The Sober New Yorker Podcast, Creative Sobriety Podcast, and Sober Life Rocks Podcast.

    Keep exploring