Alcohol Minimalist: Change Your Drinking Habits!

Think Thursday: The Illusion of "Starting Over" in Habit Change


Listen Later

In this Think Thursday episode, Molly Watts challenges the deeply ingrained belief that we must “start over” any time we slip up in our habit change journey—especially when it comes to drinking. Drawing from neuroscience, behavior psychology, and the Alcohol Minimalist framework, Molly explains why this mindset is not only emotionally unhelpful but also neurologically inaccurate.

Listeners will learn how to reframe off-plan moments not as failures, but as meaningful data points that contribute to long-term growth and brain change. Whether it’s drinking, eating, spending, or any behavior you’re trying to shift, this episode offers an empowering new narrative: you are not behind, you are evolving.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

  • Why the idea of “starting over” is a product of traditional recovery models like Alcoholics Anonymous
  • How the AA concept of relapse and abstinence has shaped our cultural view of success and failure
  • Why your brain doesn't erase progress, but rather integrates and learns from each experience
  • How to shift away from shame and into self-compassion without compromising growth
  • The role of automaticity in habit formation, according to Dr. Wendy Wood
  • How the brain builds resilience through “returning,” not perfection
  • A 3-step process to reframe setbacks and keep moving forward

Key Concepts & Tools:

  • The Iterative Mindset – Growth is not linear; it's a spiral of adjustment and awareness
  • Pause the Narrative – Catch the story you're telling yourself about failure
  • Name the Learning – Reflect on the experience with curiosity, not blame
  • Make a Micro-Move – Realign in the moment with one small action
  • Neuroplasticity – Your brain is always adapting; no step is wasted
  • Self-Compassion Science – Dr. Kristin Neff’s research shows kind self-talk leads to more consistent behavior change

Referenced Episode:

  • Think Thursday: The Iterative Mindset
     

Takeaway Quote:

“Let’s drop the idea of Day One. You are not behind. You are learning. You are aligning. You are leading your brain—one choice at a time.”
★ Support this podcast ★
...more
View all episodesView all episodes
Download on the App Store

Alcohol Minimalist: Change Your Drinking Habits!By Molly Watts, Author & Coach

  • 4.8
  • 4.8
  • 4.8
  • 4.8
  • 4.8

4.8

146 ratings


More shows like Alcohol Minimalist: Change Your Drinking Habits!

View all
Recovery Elevator by Paul Churchill

Recovery Elevator

1,700 Listeners

Take a Break from Drinking by Rachel Hart

Take a Break from Drinking

2,587 Listeners

This Naked Mind Podcast by Annie Grace

This Naked Mind Podcast

2,565 Listeners

Addiction Unlimited Podcast by Angela Pugh

Addiction Unlimited Podcast

499 Listeners

A Sober Girls Guide Podcast by A Sober Girls Guide

A Sober Girls Guide Podcast

434 Listeners

The Happy Sober Podcast (The Stop Drinking Expert) by Craig Beck

The Happy Sober Podcast (The Stop Drinking Expert)

261 Listeners

The Hello Someday Podcast For Sober Curious Women by Casey McGuire Davidson

The Hello Someday Podcast For Sober Curious Women

698 Listeners

Alcohol-Free Lifestyle by James Swanwick

Alcohol-Free Lifestyle

217 Listeners

Sober Powered: The Neuroscience of Being Sober by Gillian Tietz, MS, CPRC

Sober Powered: The Neuroscience of Being Sober

1,201 Listeners

How I quit alcohol by Danni Carr

How I quit alcohol

189 Listeners

Sober Stories from Everyday People by sassysobermum

Sober Stories from Everyday People

69 Listeners

The Stop Drinking Coach by Bardia Rezaei

The Stop Drinking Coach

492 Listeners

Sober Motivation: Sharing Sobriety Stories by Brad McLeod

Sober Motivation: Sharing Sobriety Stories

574 Listeners

It's Not About the Alcohol by Colleen Freeland

It's Not About the Alcohol

113 Listeners

Journey to the Sunnyside by Sunnyside

Journey to the Sunnyside

95 Listeners