6 Fun and Productive Ways to Spend New Years Sober
By Matthew Choi Taitano, Editor in Chief
I have been in recovery from addiction since August 2019. Since starting this journey, I have been discovering innovative ways to enjoy the second half of 2019 with a sober state of mind, which I plan to continue on and nurture in 2020. 2020 is a year in which many of us will achieve our desires and greatest potential. This process, however, does not have to be tedious or boring. Here are six ways I have learned to spend my time sober in a fun and productive manner, which you can surely use on New Years Eve, New Years Day, and beyond. The first half is more introspective and independent, while the other half is more extroversive and social.
1. Bullet Journal Your Goals, Excitements, Fears, and General Thoughts for 2020
Bullet journaling is one of the most effective ways to organize your goals and make them achievable. According to the Bullet Journal website, it is “the analog method for the digital age that will help you track the past, order the present, and design your future.” What makes the bullet journal a fun and innovative method for goal organization is that it is completely customizable. Pick from various designs and create your own manner of streamlining, from your own table of contents, index, bullet designs, and more. By creating your own bullet journal along with the free Entrepreneur Milk Manifestation Guide, 2020 is sure to be the year in which your achieve your maximum potential.
2. Photograph and Caption Your Current Environment
Hindsight is 2020. The New Year is a time of transition, introspection, and forward imagination. Thus, it is important to understand and reflect upon the environment in which you spent most of the profound moments of the previous year to ensure to create a developed or completely new space for the forthcoming year. Practice your photography skills by taking pictures of your current space, whether it be your dorm room, office, backyard, or your entire house. Take the time to capture these lovely snapshots in order to hone in on your true feelings of this intimate setting. In doing so, you will be able to develop deeper appreciation for the place that nurtured you and made you a stronger person. Furthermore, if there were things you wanted to change about this space, but couldn’t in 2019, using this method will allow you to see more concretely how you could reimagine and reinvent your space for 2020.
3. Create a Vision Board with Self-Affirmations
Finally, the most effective and productive process for growing your introspection and independence is creating a vision board. For those new to the groundbreaking process of manifestation and visualization, a vision board is a sure way to help you develop these skills for a better future. Use the Entrepreneur Milk Manifestation Guide and Bullet Journal to help you create a vision board to help you fulfill your grandest sense of self. Finally, top off your board with positive self-affirmations to help grow your intuition and self-confidence. Doing so will help you become more self-assured in your journey to achieving your goals.
4. Make Mocktails with Friends
For those looking for more extroversive and social methods to spend the New Years sober, try creating mocktails with your friends. You can create a vast assortment, from virgin martinis, virgin mimosas, to so much more. This activity is especially helpful for those who are curious about beginning a journey in sobriety and recovery. However, for those who are recently coming out of addiction, mocktails might be triggering. If this is the case, the best bet is to create fun carbonated drinks that won’t remind you of alcohol (my personal favorite is the classic Shirley Temple). Brands like Soda Stream is also a safe bet because you can make a variety of flavored carbonated drinks that will help keep your mind away from alcohol.
5. Attend an Alcathon
If you are looking for a sober community with which to spend the New Years, but don’t have one in your immediate circle of friends or family, try attending an Alcathon. Alcathon is sponsored by Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) groups all across the nation. The anonymous nature of the event will allow those who are still weary of expressing their sobriety to be at ease. Google search Alcathon events in your area; you’re sure to find one! Furthermore, there are usually transportation available to and from the space of sponsor.
6. Host Your Own Party
Still want to be that b**ch? Then, host your own party! Create your own menu of sober drinks and snacks (even a whole buffet, if you want to go all out) and invite all your loved ones with whom you wish to bring in the New Year. Being the host of the party will allow you to control the setting, as well as boost your social confidence. And after you have this lit party, you will have the ability to boast your accomplishments in making it all happen. That’s what’s up!