No alcohol. No nicotine. No negotiations.
This year I’m sober.
No alcohol. No nicotine.
Why?
I’m doing it because I want to take a run at my potential, and I’m done driving my life with the brake half on. This year I’m removing the substances that take more than they give.
I’m writing this for two reasons:
Accountability. I want the people around me to know the standard.
An invitation. Not a lecture. An experiment you can run without needing a personality transplant
“You do not rise to the level of your goals. You fall to the level of your systems.”
– James Clear
The two things I’m cutting
Alcohol.
Alcohol is literally a poison. It’s not a vibe. It’s not entertainment. It’s self destruction disguised as fun.
Maybe you’re into that – I’ve been there – but don’t try and convince yourself differently. It makes you slower, duller, and more impulsive… then convinces you you’re “more fun.”
It’s basically paying for a temporary mood lift with tomorrow’s intelligence.
What would your life feel like if your baseline was clean and steady instead of negotiated and foggy?
Nicotine
This one is personal.
I’ve been on and off nicotine since I was 19. Smoking, vaping, Zyn — pretty much whatever I could get my hands on. I’ve quit. I’ve relapsed. I’ve “only used it when stressed.” I’ve “only used it socially.” I’ve told myself every story a man can tell himself while keeping the addiction alive.
Nicotine didn’t destroy my life.
That’s why it’s dangerous. It just quietly trained me to reach for tiny relief instead of long-term wins. And that’s a brutal trade if you care about your focus, your money, your patience, or your future.
Also, if you ever want to watch your brain turn into an unskilled negotiator, take away nicotine and observe how quickly it starts proposing deals you didn’t ask for.
“Discipline equals freedom.”
– Jocko Willink
The part people don’t talk about: it affects real doors
Here’s something most people never connect:
Habits like nicotine don’t just cost money.
They can quietly limit access to better options.
Approval thresholds.
Pricing.
Eligibility.
Sometimes the cost isn’t what’s spent – it’s what never becomes available.
No
That’s what “leaking potential” actually looks like in real life.
The first two weeks: the bargain phase
The first two weeks are where most people quit.
Not because it’s dramatic.
Because it’s persistent.
Remove alcohol and nicotine and the brain doesn’t applaud. It shops.
“Replace it with something.”
“Just a little hit.”
“Same rules, new button.”
It doesn’t even have to be obviously bad. Sugar. Caffeine. Stimulation. Distraction. Same pattern, different costume.
Here’s the key distinction:
The craving isn’t always for the substance.
It’s for relief.
If relief isn’t chosen deliberately, the brain will choose it impulsively – and impulses are never strategic.
Fighting entropy
Entropy is the drift toward softness. Toward “later.” Toward the easiest available comfort.
The counter isn’t heroics.
It’s repetition.
Notice the drift.
Adjust.
Move forward.
Repeat.
Not perfect. Just awake.
That refusal – again and again – is where strength actually accumulates.
How often do you reach for a chemical fix when the real need is rest, purpose, or hard work?
This is about agency.
This isn’t about purity.
It’s about control.
Money isn’t just math. It’s behavior.
And substances don’t only affect weekends – they shape the small decisions that quietly decide a life:
– whether discomfort is avoided
– whether spending is impulsive
– whether promises are kept
– whether “tomorrow” becomes a habit
Remove the noise and those patterns become obvious – fast.
If you try this, run it like an experiment
Anyone curious can test this without drama:
Pick 30 days
Don’t argue about it. Don’t moralize it.
Track two things:
– energy
– spending and impulse decisions
The data shows up quickly.
What are alcohol, nicotine – or whatever the substitute is – expected to provide that couldn’t be built another way?
What are you hoping alcohol or nicotine or insert substance will give you that you couldn’t build another way?
Full stop
This year is sober.
Alcohol and nicotine.
If that standard breaks, the word breaks with it.
Not for applause.
For clarity.
Because the goal isn’t to look disciplined – it’s to find out what’s possible when the signal is clean.
Join me
Anyone who wants to run the experiment is welcome.
Send a message.
No speeches. No performative sobriety. No identity theatre.
Just a small group of people done leaking time, money, and energy — and ready to stop the bleed.
Check-ins. Small wins. Forward motion.
That’s it.
Becoming Superhuman 
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