Changing Your Beliefs About Alcohol (& Yourself)

In this insightful episode, Molly Watts dives into the power of challenging and changing your core beliefs about alcohol and yourself. As many navigate Dry January or strive to build a peaceful relationship with alcohol, Molly shares how deeply ingrained beliefs can keep us stuck in unwanted habits. Drawing inspiration from Think Again by Dr. Adam Grant, she discusses how curiosity and resilience can lead to meaningful change.

Key Topics Discussed:

1. Challenging Dry January Setbacks:
   • Molly encourages listeners not to use one "off-plan" drinking day as proof they can't change.
   • She emphasizes meeting yourself where you are and focusing on small, consistent actions aligned with long-term goals.
2. Core Beliefs About Alcohol:
   Molly revisits the five deeply held beliefs about alcohol that often drive drinking habits:
   • Alcohol relieves stress. (Episode 158)
   • Alcohol makes things more fun. (Episode 159)
   • Alcohol creates connections. (Episode 160)
   • Alcohol is a reward. (Episode 161)
   • Alcohol keeps me going. (Episode 163)

She explains how these beliefs contribute to desire and how science contradicts many of them.

1. Self-Limiting Beliefs:
   • Beyond alcohol, Molly discusses the stories we tell ourselves, like "I can't have fun without drinking" or "I've failed before, so I'll fail again."
   • She highlights the importance of questioning whether these beliefs are always true.
2. The Power of Rethinking (Inspired by Think Again):
   Molly introduces Dr. Adam Grant's insight:
3. "Most of us spend too much time thinking about how to get people to think like us and too little time thinking about how to get ourselves to think differently."
   • She emphasizes developing mental flexibility by embracing curiosity and the willingness to be wrong.
4. Three-Step Framework for Changing Beliefs:
   • Get Curious: Ask, What if I'm wrong about this?
   • Embrace Being Wrong: Recognize that being wrong isn't failure—it's growth.
   • Practice Resilience: Accept that change takes time and keep moving forward despite setbacks.
5. Rewriting Self-Limiting Beliefs:
   • Molly offers actionable steps to identify and challenge limiting beliefs.
   • Example: Replace "I can't manage stress without drinking" with "I'm learning to manage stress with healthier tools like exercise or mindfulness."
6. The Role of Curiosity and Resilience:
   • Molly stresses that curiosity helps uncover blind spots, while resilience allows us to keep going despite challenges.

Recommended Resources:

• Book Mentioned: Think Again by Dr. Adam Grant
• Alcohol Minimalist Programs:
  • Drink-Less Success– 30-Day Mini-Program
  • Making Peace with Alcohol – 12-Month Group Coaching
  • Proof Positive – 12-Week 1:1 Coaching for Women
• App Recommendation: Sunnyside for tracking

Action Steps:

1. Identify One Core or Self-Limiting Belief: Write it down and ask, Is this always true?
2. Challenge and Replace It: Develop a new, empowering belief to practice daily.
3. Stay Curious and Resilient: Keep questioning old stories and be patient with your progress.

Connect with Molly:

• Website: www.mollywatts.com
• Facebook Group: Alcohol Minimalists: Change Your Alcohol Habits
• Email: molly@mollywatts.com

Closing Thoughts:

Molly leaves listeners with this empowering reminder:

"When we change what we think, we change how we feel. When we change how we feel, we change how we act. And when we change how we act, we get different results in our lives."

Until next time, choose peace.

Have episode suggestions or questions? Reach out to Molly at molly@mollywatts.com. Let’s continue this conversation and grow together!

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