Why I Stopped Drinking and How Life Has Supercharged

Two years ago, I made a decision that would supercharge my life’s trajectory

January 5, 2024, I had my last drink. 

At that time, drinking was no longer a “problem” for me - I’d stopped binge drinking a year prior

But I’d had a realization:

I’d never truly gone for it, and drinking was my self-handicap

“I could be an elite athlete if I didn’t drink,” I told myself, my friends, anyone who would listen- usually to the tune of an eye roll and a “yeah, okay” 

For years and years I repeated this- from beginning to drink in high school, and deciding that a social life was more important than baseball – to the college and young adult years, and drinking being “the reason I workout every day” – and finally to my post-awakening year where I still drank to have “balance” 

It was the built in excuse that allowed me to be content with never truly trying

It kept me safe from the potential reality of failure, of seeing that I wasn’t really who I believed myself to be. 

But a month before my last drink, I did something I’d never done before - I entered my first competition - a half-marathon obstacle course race. 

And despite not running in over a decade, only giving myself two weeks to train for it, and alcohol still being a fixture in my life, I finished faster than 95% of my competition that day. 

I realized that the time for excuses was over. The time for “what if’s” was gone. 

It was time to remove the crutch, and ask myself “what now, motherfucker?” 

A lot has happened in these 731 days, and not all of it has been in the athletic space. 

I quickly got in the best shape of my life - a bar that has pushed higher and higher by the day.

I started Get Psyched Fitness to help others build the body and mind they deserve. 

I began socializing without alcohol for the first time in adulthood, and found the ability to develop deep personal connections with my circle in St. Pete.

My book, “Your Mindset is Your Reality,” got published.. And eventually, the audiobook.

I started to be sought out for podcasts and public speaking opportunities, and have quickly developed my skills

I kept challenging myself physically, and found out how to eat an elephant

I met my partner… and decided to make her my wife

And while chasing my definition of “elite”… find me someone else that can run 100 miles in under 24 hours and bench 315. 

We’re on our way there. 

A lot has happened in these 2 years, indeed. More than I ever could have imagined when I decided to break away from alcohol- from whiskey flights and red wine with steak, from snappa with the boys and a cold beer in a warm shower, from a shot to calm the nerves or celebrate victory. 

I knew that I would be leaving all of that behind; All of the comfort of those habits and the community of people that indulged in them with me. I knew, for a while, I would feel lost.

But I had no idea how much of myself I would find. 

Am I where I want to be yet? No. Of course not. 

But I'm sharing this to potentially spark action in someone else who is thinking about breaking away from alcohol. 

Because I’m sure there’s something you’ve told yourself would be different “If I didn’t drink.”

The time is now. The time to ask yourself, “what now, motherfucker?”