A few years ago, in my late thirties, I came to a startling conclusion that my goals and dreams were slipping through my fingers. Like many other professionals I had all the trappings of stereotypical success. Wonderful family, great job … but life had stalled. It felt like Groundhog day, only things weren’t getting better. I dreamt of writing, getting fit, starting a new business and going back to university – but I was stuck.
As hard as I tried there was not enough time. My life was: work – stress – family – sleep – repeat.
That was until I hacked one simple habit and everything changed. Productivity went through the roof and I started to get stuff done – on a large scale. I have to admit this productivity hack wasn’t easy, being a broker in the city, but I am proof that it can be done – I quit alcohol.
There was no “problem” I just suspected the booze was holding me back and I was right – it was.
Why taking a break from alcohol is great for productivity?
This post will focus on just one area of the alcohol-free productivity advantage – early morning starts. But before we deep dive into the 5am miracle – let’s quickly summarise some of the other productivity benefits that taking a break from the booze offers:
- Your real energy comes flooding back
- Your motivation jumps to new levels
- Physical and mental health often improves, creating more energy and motivation.
- Sleep quality is enhanced leading to extra vitality and productivity
** For more benefits check out my previous post: 9 reasons why quitting alcohol is great for business and life.
The 5 AM miracle
I am writing this post at 5:15am on a Tuesday morning before work. Had alcohol still been a part of my life this would not be happening. Personally the tiredness that alcohol produced killed off any early morning activity and wiped out the motivation to care.
Jeff Sanders one of the world’s leading productivity guru’s and creator of the 5am miracle movement, inspired me to make an early start. Jeff heard about my alcohol-free adventures and invited me to appear on his podcast and he also decided to take a break from the booze.
When hangovers ruled I had too many dreams and goals that I ‘didn’t have time or energy for’. In truth – I did have the time it’s just that these aims were not a priority. I used the same old excuses – I am too tired to get up early and study. I don’t have time to train for a marathon. I don’t have the energy to start a business.
In my experience – if you have a desire to run the marathon, win the promotion, take the degree and achieve something that’s been on the back burner for too long then going alcohol-free might provide the productivity advantage you’ve been searching for.
Within a few weeks of early starts my ambitions were back in play – I started to write, study for a master’s degree, keep a daily journal and meditate. All of this, and more became possible before the kids were awake. It reached the point where I could have a full life before most people had arrived at work. The productivity advantage this creates is massive. Just imagine what you could do with an extra 1 – 2 hours free time every day?
What happens when a productivity guru goes alcohol-free:
After my original podcast with Jeff, a few weeks later I reciprocated and invited him onto the OneYearNoBeer podcast. Jeff has built a career around being uber productive, yet had the odd drink. Like so many of us, this productivity superhero still had a blind-spot for alcohol. After completing a 30-day alcohol-free challenge Jeff’s feedback was astounding:
‘I am amazed at the difference this challenge has made, I get another 30 minutes that did not exist before, which does not sounds a lot but over time this is massive in terms of productivity’
One of the world’s leading productivity guru managed to carve out another 30 minutes of productivity from this one simple change. Forget the wonderful health benefits, if you want to get stuff done, it is clear as day – taking a break from alcohol offers a massive productivity advantage.
Jeff’s feedback also raises another really interesting point. If the world’s leading productivity guru had missed this opportunity for improvement it’s no wonder that so many of us fall into the same trap. So this is not about pointing fingers or telling anyone off. I am just suggesting that if you want to get stuff done and if you have dreams that you want to achieve then perhaps consider taking a break from the booze.
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