Valuable lessons from Dry January

Like myself, many of you may have kicked off 2024 by partaking in Dry January and abstaining from alcohol for the month. If you are not aware of the concept, Dry January is a health and wellness campaign that encourages people to abstain from drinking alcohol for the month of January. There are a myriad of benefits to this, including health, mental well being and even budget management! And for some, January is of course ‘resolution’ month.?

I decided to partake in Dry January again this year and it’s gotten me pondering the connection between personal goals, like Dry January, and professional development. The commitment it takes to resist a familiar habit that is so ingrained in society has parallel lines to the willpower and resilience it takes to succeed in business. In the workplace, a beneficial trait is having the discipline to stay focused on goals and being able to overcome obstacles when you face them. We all face challenges at work, but knowing you can get through them is similar, in some ways, to knowing you can go out without reaching for that glass of wine or two.?

This year I approached Dry January with a different mindset. I did some risk mitigation - just as I would for a business challenge. I planned for my down side risk, my moments of vulnerability. Let me share a few of those.?

One of the simple pleasures in my life is a good meal at home with my husband who has a talent and a passion for cooking. The meal just doesn’t taste as good with a glass of water and so I explored different non alcoholic options. The zero beers and wines weren’t for me, but I did discover a genuine enjoyment of ‘zero gin’ and tonic.??

A meal with friends or business colleagues was another opportunity to wobble and my mitigation for this is to suggest Asian restaurants - a great Thai or Indian meal is perfect with a delicious pot of jasmine tea, whereas French or Italian restaurants would have me reaching for that glass of red.?

And my last scenario is those moments where the hotel mini bar can tempt me as late into the evening I plough through my pre-read for the next day's meetings. The solution here, a can of ready mixed? ‘zero Gin’ and tonic tucked into my overnight bag. The Tesco one is delicious!

Partaking in Dry January shows that you have a growth mindset, which is an important skill to succeed in many areas of life. If you have a vision of personal growth and you are willing to do what it takes to get there, despite knockbacks, you will succeed. It shows that you are adaptable and willing to make the effort required to get to your desired outcome. If you have a growth mindset, you are probably big on self improvement and continuous learning, all key skills for succeeding professionally.?

Finally, I would like to acknowledge the fact that Dry January can be hard- it’s not always easy to resist external pressure to drink. Just as we should in business, let’s celebrate the small wins! If you participated in Dry January, or even just another self-improvement venture in the New Year, give yourself a pat on the back!?