Listen to the PODCAST Here
Watch the Podcast on YouTube Here 

🧡 I invite you to book a clarity call with me and let's chat: https://calendly.com/williams-ruby/discovery-call 

Don't Wait for January: How to Change Your Drinking Before the Holidays

Why "I'll start in January" keeps so many midlife women stuck, and a simple three-step experiment you can start today

The Most Expensive Promise We Make Every October

It happens like clockwork. The leaves turn, the Halloween candy appears, and a quiet promise forms: I'll deal with my drinking in January. With Thanksgiving, holiday parties, Christmas, and New Year's Eve on the calendar, waiting feels reasonable. Who wants to change during the most wine-soaked season of the year?

But that promise has a cost. We give ourselves permission to spend three more months doing something we already know isn't making us feel good, all because Future You is supposedly going to show up on January 1st with brand-new willpower.

Here's the truth: Future You is still you. The beliefs, habits, and patterns that drive your drinking don't reset when the calendar does.

Is Alcohol Creating the Celebration?

The holidays come with a powerful script. Wine after a long day of cooking. Champagne at midnight. A festive cocktail in every hand. After twenty years in the wine industry, I know that script well, because I helped write it. I promoted the idea that wine was sophisticated and champagne was how we celebrate.

But look closer. The laughter around the table is connection. The joy of seeing family is love. The glow of the lights is wonder. The new year is hope. None of those feelings come from a glass. We've simply learned to pair them with alcohol until it feels like something is missing without it.

Why "Just One Glass" Turns Into Three

If you've ever planned to have one drink and ended the night wondering what happened, you're not weak. Alcohol affects the brain systems involved in reward, judgment, and decision-making, so the choice about a second drink can feel very different from the plan you made clearheaded that morning.

That's why willpower alone is so frustrating. A better question than "How do I stop at one?" is "What am I hoping that first glass will do for me?" Relaxation? Connection? Permission to finally be off duty? Once you know what you're asking alcohol to provide, you can find other ways to meet that need.

The Holiday Curiosity Experiment

You don't have to quit tomorrow or make a forever decision. Try this instead:

1. Notice. When you want a drink, pause. What happened right before the urge? Stress, loneliness, an offered refill?
2. Ask. "What do I want alcohol to do for me right now?" Be honest. There's no wrong answer.
3. Experiment. Ask, "What else could I try?" A ten-minute walk outside. A call to a friend. A beautiful alcohol-free drink in a fancy glass.

Then write down one more question: How do I want to feel on January 1st? Proud? Clearheaded? Hopeful? Choose one small action today that moves you toward that feeling.

You Don't Have to Do This Alone

Knowing that alcohol disrupts sleep and mood isn't the same as changing a deeply practiced habit. Support makes the difference. In a group, you hear another woman share your exact struggle and realize you're not the only one tired of starting over.

That's why the next Alcohol Freedom Academy begins in mid-November: 90 days of coaching, community, and curiosity that carry you through the holidays and into an optional, supported Dry January.

Imagine a Different January 1st

Picture waking up on New Year's Day and thinking not "Ugh, I have to start over," but "Look what I've already learned." You don't need to be at the finish line. You just need to leave the starting line. Rock bottom is optional, and this year you can say, "I'm starting now."
________

🧡 I invite you to book a clarity call with me and let's chat: https://calendly.com/williams-ruby/discovery-call

🧡 Sign up the Alcohol Freedom Academy wait list now!
https://www.freedomrenegadecoaching.com/thank-you-afa-waitlist

Website for Ruby Williams at Freedom Renegade Coaching https://www.freedomrenegadecoaching.com/

Follow Coach Ruby: @rubywilliamscoaching
🧡 Email: [email protected]

Grab your copy of our FREE WineFree Weekend Guide to help you on your alcohol free journey. https://www.freedomrenegadecoaching.com/WineFreeWeekend