Dec 2nd I vow to continue to be the best sober partner in all areas I can be for my spouse. Not an easy task. Who wants easy?
7 Likes
December 2, 2025
I am looking forward to more fitness competitions in 2026 and integrating fitness into my life more by looking into certifications. I have been feeling unfulfilled career wise and I feel like I can change my circumstances/environment all I want but it will still lead to this vicious cycle of unfulfillment. Fitness is one of the things that has been a constant — even in my addiction days (never got stronger though and was always a little on the slow side, obviously). I want to continue on the fitness path I am now but make it even better and help others along the way. And hopefully, if I continue to work on it next year, it can lead me to something full-time and I can finally leave my unfulfilling career. 
🏋🏽♀
6 Likes
I fell asleep earlier than expected last night so submitting mine from last night now
Dec 2
One thing I am looking forward to continuing in the new year is continuing to build a healthier life for myself both physically and mentally.
3 Likes
Day 3 - 3 good things that happened this year.
- My younger son graduated college this year. While neither of the boys has immediately sought a career in their field of study, I have arrived at the understanding that as parents, we have done our job very well. Neither of the boys has alcohol, drug, or mental health problems - they are both well balanced young men. We got them through college debt free so they have the option to explore life paths without the crushing burden of student loans.
- The little “Plain Language Big Book” study group that my pal and I started is likely to continue to thrive. There are 4 of us who meet regularly and two others who frequently join us. We started in January, and have met maybe 38 of the 48 weeks so far. There is a depth of vulnerability and sharing that I have not experienced anywhere else, besides one men’s retreat weekend, in my 20+ years in AA.
- At least 4 friends went back to drinking this year, and they all keep striving to return to sobriety, with varying degrees of success. These are all object lessons for me in emotional sobriety, and how negative circular thinking can still have power to allow drinking to become an option. These friends had accumulated between about a year and up to 10 years of dry time. The lesson for me was to be honest, immediate, and vocal with my doubts and my unease. Hiding behind a facade of wellness is an old well-practiced skill, and the yearning for some Nirvana still lingers for me. These are simply the conditions of my thoughts, and do not have to lead to the “inevitable” collapse of my sobriety. I can accept these conditions, express my dis-ease to my inner circle (see #2 above), and continue to live with the knowledge that thoughts of self-sufficiency, thoughts of self-serving self-centeredness will ebb and rise. I have tools today and it is still a choice I have to make to put them to use.
5 Likes
3rd Dec. Three good things this year.
- I started Invisalign aligners two months ago after years of not taking the best care of my teeth that I could during active addiction. I’m only having it for four months in total, so relatively low key changes, but this means the world to me. The fact I did it, even at 46, proves to myself that I matter. That I am worth investing in. Now, DO NOT ASK ME ABOUT THE LIMITATIONS OF HAVING ALIGNERS IN FOR 22 HOURS A DAY, BECAUSE I WILL BORE YOU SENSELESS ON THE TOPIC.
- After our WOODEN balconies were deemed unsafe in case of a building fire (no shit, Sherlock) the HA decided we were liable for £6850 GBP EACH for remedial action and the change to aluminium struts. I resigned myself to the unfairness of this, then last month got a letter that the completed works were not billable to us and covered in our sink fund. That was incredible news.
- My partner changed jobs on a whim after having an awful time (gaslighting, narc boss, micromanaging and bullying) . She showed an expression of interest in the lateral role on a Friday and accepted the job after interviewing for it the following Wednesday. The emotional and mental weight leaving the previous job has lifted is pure joy. Such a cool thing to happen, and so timely and unusual. Changed the dynamic of our lives and stress levels.
4 Likes
December 3rd,
Three good things that happened this year?
Ok, well, let me be honest.
It was the best year I ever had.
Jesus.
And, all he has directed me too.
Was it a fairy tale summer? Was it a beautiful April?
Absolutely not, He cut out a lot and I got sad, but I knew deep within me it had to change. It sucked. It was a whole process. Then everything else that went on.
But, I had decided to keep going even in the brokeness, the wondering, the changes and just process myself to Gods word. I put my life into so many dumb things, and while it took time to let the changes happen. I just, let go.
It moved quicker than I had anticipated.
Then 3 big communities showed up.
The growth of my son.
I could keep going on.
If i tried my way again, I would had failed once again..
…The best thing was simply saying, “Here, have it, i fuck it up over and over, and end up feeling dead, angry and wondering why I can’t get it right.”
Piece by piece, day by day.
He did it all..
And, I don’t feel like self sabotaging. I forgot what that really was, i just remember i used to do it a lot.
3 Likes
December 3rd, three good things that happened this year:
• Our big tournament from work at the end of October was a huge success, it implies a huge load of work, as well as money spent, and I’m happy it was a big success.
• I am up to date will all my major expenses and still managed to safe a chunk of money (won’t say that too loud, otherwise I might me jinxing with my car breaking down, or my kitties getting sick e.g. - knocking on wood right now!)
• My relationship with my brother has improved a tiny bit, it’s not back to normal, but sometimes we talk, even though it’s only via WhatsApp. Haven’t seen him since Xmas last year…
5 Likes
3 good things that happened this year.
-
I leaped forward with my career. I started to seriously understand my role and welcomed different forms of initiations towards it. I accepted the beginner status, even enjoy it and opened up a whole new world. But also realized in a way, so much was already there and its just a stepping into.
-
I maintained strong boundaries with a complex group. I belong and i’m respected. I
them. I lead with my heart, and am trying to fully be myself. It’s fulfilling and fun. -
My hair looks great. Its long af.
4 Likes
Loving Jesus is also loving yourself. Lovely✨️
1 Like
December 3, 2025
Three good things that happened this year:
- In February, I took a day trip to NYC and spent time with a longtime friend for my birthday weekend. It was so much fun and I missed her. We haven’t seen eachother in person in a while. She has also been supportive of my sobriety from the start. It’s been so easy with her because she was never a big drinker anyways.
- I got more into the nutrition game and tried out a lot of new recipes! I even made cedar plank smoked salmon on the charcoal grill. I wasn’t too into the smokiness of the salmon but I loved trying it either way.
- So excited that I achieved a lot of financial goals this year. It’s been hard crunching money and still is. But it will be such a relief for next year when I have a tiny bit more in my pocket. Of course, to go to more financial priorities.
I am abundant in all aspects of life and forever grateful to the Universe. 
Wishing those same blessings to everyone on here. 
6 Likes
Day 4
My biggest setback this year was one of the things I listed on day 1. I’ve been racing triathlons from 2013 right up through this year. In 2023 and 2024 I cut way back due to injury, in 2024 I did not enter a race at all. This year I returned to a single race and at the shorter distance. I trained hard and consistently from June through mid-August. I was not real pleased with my open water swim experiences, but my pool training was solid, and I figured it was only just over a third of a mile, 600 yards, so I would be slow but okay in the water.
Race day, I started out too late. I felt rushed packing up and left probably an hour later than I wanted to. It is about a 90 minute drive to the venue. On the way down, my anxiety about the race was mounting and I could feel the adrenaline starting to surge. As I arrived on site, it was only about 30 minutes to race time. I had to use the toilet (common race day phenomenon) and was just ready to change clothes and set up my transition station (layout bike and equipment and shoes and food etc for the bike and the run portions), when the pre-race announcements started. By now, the adrenaline was really starting to pump, but it was colored with anxious thoughts and that vague foreboding that I haven’t experienced in years. I set up transition in a hurry, pulled on my wetsuit (always a challenge), did a quick dip in the lake and then lined up for the start time of my age group. The swim course is staple shaped, a short, maybe 20 yards, leg straight out, then a left turn parallel to the beach, maybe 450 yards on that leg, then another left into the beach. There are always a lot of bodies flailing over each other in the first leg - in a triathlon, polite swimmers are literally swum over and kicked etc as the aggressive ones start out. I made the first turn, went about 10 more yards and suddenly could not get enough air. Lots of self talk, coaching to relax and float, to just be, a mix of breaststroke and backstroke, followed. By the time I got halfway down the long leg, the panic was building to an intolerable point, I could not talk myself out of it. None of the support kayaks or paddle boards were near enough for me to swim to, and then the panic really got a grip. I turned left and headed into the beach. When I got close enough, I started walking through neck deep water. On shore, I found a race official, gave them my number and dropped out. This was a first for me, the letters “DNF” for did not finish posted for my race time.
What I learned was experience with how my body reacts to adrenaline. What I learned was how overconfidence can almost kill me. How my old drinking thinking habits of justification and denial about my training had really come back and interfered. I did one short practice race about 4 weeks ahead of race day and struggled on the swim then and ignored that fact, figuring I was just tired at the end of a work day.
Whether I will be able to put this knowledge about my physical and mental conditioning for race day to use in 2026 is an open question. Another side effect of the thinking was that I overlooked the damage I was doing to my Achilles, and now I am deep into physical therapy for it and unable to run for the past 3 months. I will be able to profit from the experience of how easily I slid back into the denial and justification. Not only was that about the physical stuff, it also impacted my emotional life - I minimized my fear and lack of confidence. As I approach retirement in 3 months and the upheaval to my lifestyle (mostly good, don’t get me wrong!), these same feelings are recurring. And I know that allowing the rationalizing and denial to continue around that event will have even more disastrous consequences for me than just a DNF,
It’s time to do what worked in early sobriety - daily journaling was a big part of that, and increased attendance and participation in AA. I am grateful to @spgand28 for starting this thread as it has allowed me to return to this simple and highly effective daily habit.
6 Likes
I’m behind!
December 3rd
My son got into high school. It was a massive undertaking, for me in a foreign country, in a complicated system I had never experienced, and for him. We survived, and I learnt a lot.
I went to see PJ Harvey, which was good because I am a fan, but also me doing something for myself, putting others out a bit (I had to travel to Osaka and stay overnight away from the kids and husband, the first time I have done so since my son was born).
5 years sober, baby!
December 4th
I’m still in the setback, but my binge eating is back. It is teaching me that I have to be vigilant and kind to myself. I am a bit in a “why the fuck are you here again, idiot?” stage, which isn’t helping. But I will overcome it, not in a ‘I will beat disordered eating’ way, but in a ‘I will keep moving forward in my journey towards conscious and balanced eating habits’ way.
7 Likes
I love PJ 
glad you got to go!
3 Likes
4th December.
It’s difficult to choose a single setback from this beautiful and tumultuous year…..it’s been wild.
A major one has been the relentless job searching, and arduous applications (bespoke personal statements, online tests, situational and judgement scenario tests, written behavioural statements) that took hours each time… Getting over 100+ job rejections, at SIFT stage… Not even getting to interview. Having the nerve to hold my ground and spend my savings to pursue what I want, rather than dissolve my will by stepping back into the exact same workforce/field that I never wanted to join again. It hit me hard in the first half of the year, very hard. It probably hurt my ego to be truthful. I held the belief tight that I was an idiot and failing,that I was stupid and not worthy of this endeavour. I wanted to give up and pack it all in and rejoin a private company so many times… But I regrouped daily and tried to pull my socks up to go again. Relentless and heartbreaking weekly rejections… Scores that meant I was doing really good, but not enough.
I’m still searching and waiting the outcomes of my most recent efforts at securing a dream position, so I’m a bit scared that if that goes pear shaped I might lose the plot and fall into the ether of self recrimination and wallowing in self pity and chronic doubt. So I guess these setbacks have taught me to ride the wave and learn to float immediately after I capsize. Feel the feels, be honest with myself and fair and just and realistic. Be sad, let it out, don’t allow the ego to take control of triggering the fuckit bucket. I had to start to steer the fucking ship with honesty and integrity and admit that it hurts but doesn’t define me. My self worth isn’t diminished just because I’m not a fit for someone, job wise or personally. I’m good enough without external validation. This is a constant WIP.
7 Likes
Im behind a couple days but Ill do yeaterdays and todays, today lol
Dec 3rd
3 good things that happened this year:
- I continued to stay sober and have worked on building a stronger relationship with God
- I have lost some weight and even began seeking online support for my ED (weelly zoom groups) and for my health issues (this program officially begins in Jan 2026)
- My relationship with my husband has improved. Ive realized how “closed” off I am and am learning to have better communication
Dec 4th
A setback I overcame this year and what it taught me:
- Im finding this one tough to answer. To be honest, things have been pretty good this year. The only thing that has been a setback for me happened in Nov 2024 when i was given a very, very high financial bill that is needed to be paid back. I havent made a payment on it yet as I am currently paying back my parents on a monthly basis. I have about 2 years left of monthly payments to my parents and then will begin paying this other bill back. So technically i have not overcome it yet. BUT… what it has taught me is more about being accountable for my actions. Sure it could be easy to blame other people for why i accepted the money in the first place, but my addiction back then had everything to do with why I took it. So its only right to pay it back. I cant wait to be debt free! Slowly but surely lol
6 Likes
Ur 5 years sober today?! Omg!!! Congratulations my dear friend 
2 Likes
When you write about your life.
..your depth, desires, changes and growth..
It deeply interest me.
Thank you.
2 Likes
Dec 4th.
Super simple.
My whole life in February, leading up too was all a set back, or dead, or angry. I don’t know.
And, well, no… I didn’t overcome it.
2 Likes
December 4th; a setback - that’s an easy one, after a few months of sobriety I thought I could drink like a lady again. Big mistake, ain’t no such thing like drinking like a lady! Moderation will never be an option for me again.
5 Likes
I personally am not too keen on the word ‘overcome’ sometimes. There are some things we cannot overcome; we work with it, we improve, we learn, etc. Perhaps that fits better for you?
2 Likes