 I am James Swannick. Welcome to the Alcohol Free Lifestyle podcast. I love it when past clients show up and tell me that they're two years alcohol free or three years alcohol free or one year alcohol free. It's incredible. And today we're going to be talking to one of those clients, Janice Swales. And this is a unique episode actually because I recorded the following episode live on one of our project 90 client calls. Project 90 is the program that I run that helps folks like you quit drinking for at least 90 days and get long term power over alcohol. Whether that means quitting forever or whether it means quitting for at least 90 days and doing moderation. The idea or the goal at the end of it is that you have ultimate power over alcohol for the rest of your life. So you get to listen in now on a P90 call. Yeah, this is like we do. Well, there are six available group calls per week inside of that program and you're about to listen to one of those six calls. You're going to hear existing project 90 clients ask our past project 90 client about her experience being alcohol free. You'll get a feel for the, I don't know, I guess like the culture that we have in there, which is very fun and aspirational. This is not an AA meeting where everyone's talking about how much their life sucks and they're navel gazing and looking down. We try to be very uplifting and positive and friendly. So I hope that comes across in the audio you're about to listen to. If you would like to get my daily email, I do run, I do write a daily email that's 365 emails a year. There's a description in the description of this podcast. You'll see a link to my guide alcohol free lifestyle.com forward slash guide. If you click on that, you will then get access to my daily email. You'll also get my guide, which is the process that I give to my project 90 clients on how to get long term power over alcohol. So if you want that free guide, the link is in the show notes. And what else do we talk about? I'm not sure. I'm just going to play it, I think. I think that's it. Yeah. Details are in the description. Here we go. Have a listen to a project 90 group core where we celebrate Janice Whale two years alcohol free. Here we go. All right. We are doing a P 90 a project 90 group core. So if you're listening on the podcast, welcome everyone. We've got project 90 clients here and want to say hello. Say hello. Shout out. Hello. Hello. Hello. Hi. All right. And today we are celebrating and interviewing one of our project 90 alumni members who joined project 90 two years and one day ago. And now she's two years alcohol free. And her name is Janice. Janet. Am I allowed to say your last name, Jenna? I am actually. I am. Janice Wales from the Yukon in Canada, which is amazing. And Jenna has actually been interviewed on the podcast previously. I'm just going to show I'm going to share my screen here with our project 90 clients. You can see here episode 23 of the alcohol free lifestyle was called Janice Wales quitting alcohol may have saved my life. And it was released on when was it was about a year ago. Let's have a good. Let me just go back here. What was the actual date? August 11, 2020. And now here we are again of 2021 and Jenna is two years alcohol free. So first of all round of applause for Jenna for being two years alcohol free everyone. Good job. If you're listening on the podcast, that's the sound of nine people clapping their heads for Jenna. Hey, Jenna, why don't you just introduce yourself a little bit, tell us a little bit about who you are, where you're from, what you do, how you came to join project 90. Two years ago and what life looks like two years. I'll just give you the floor to just kind of share whatever you want to share and then we can do some Q&A from there. Well, that sounds good. I have to say I'm really pleased to have done the pandemic alcohol free. I think that that that was just a wonderful kind of side benefit from this whole thing is not to have had that or deal on my plate as well. So that was just, yeah, that's just a positive upside of the whole thing. But yeah, I live in the Yukon next to Alaska for so it's not snowy all the time. It's right now it's really hot actually and I was saying one of the things that I was proud about is about 10 minutes before this call started. I was screaming into my driveway with my truck or the camper on the back just getting back from the lake. I'm all sunburned at weekend with my son it was really fun. But in my work life I run a museum, and I think about all the big questions of history who are we what does it all mean, all those kind of things how do we make sense of place and sense of self. And how I came across P90 two years ago, I was just, I am endlessly grateful for this group because I was saying just before that that I really like the idea that I'm an awesome person and I want to be even more awesome and I like that thread that runs through this I think that that's a wonderful, fulfilling thinking about your future trajectory. And that was true for me at the time but it was becoming less true, my trajectory was changing and it was changing for the worse because of alcohol and I wasn't quite sure what to do a few stressful life things going on and I wasn't dealing with things very well and and through happenstance I came across two things at the same time. One was this P90 which I joined and the other was cold water swimming. And both of those continue. So both of those are kind of a two year two year old thing that I've been doing now. And what what were you drinking habits a couple of years ago, Jenna, like what were you drinking how often how much I would say I was drinking something most days and generally I'd have some kind of a hangover once a week, which means I'd be kind of drunk, at least once a week, hangover worthy drunk drinkiness, I guess. Yeah. Yeah. And how was that compromising different areas of your life. Well, as I was saying to, to the fellow I was just talking to, when we're in the rooms. I did a whole bunch of stuff in the last week and a half. An unbelievable amount of very awesome stuff and some part of that would have had to not happen to fit drinking in for sure. Because it did take up space and now that space is taken up with doing really cool fulfilling things. At the museum we know offer open air cockpit rides on a vintage biplane, which has just come together in the last week and a half. And I think the amount of insurance and rigmarole to get something like that off the ground that that would have taken longer if I had to do some drinking along the way. What what have you in hindsight two years down the line look back you look back on when you were drinking. Why do you think you were drinking the way you were drinking back then. That is a good question. Why do I think I was drinking. I have learned how to prioritize better. What I would do, I think is I would have really a difficult time ranking one thing over another or kicking something off the list. And if I could come up with kind of a passive aggressive way of being right if I could come up with some way of not being able to do something instead of directly saying I couldn't do it. Then, then that was, I guess what alcohol gave me is it gave me a little break because I couldn't make a break for myself, which is so sad. I'm really glad I'm not doing that anymore. You know, oh, I want to sleep on us on on a Sunday. Like now I just do sometimes if I feel like it. But before I had to have a horrible headache or something or else I would not. So, yeah. Was there a particular incident or were there incidents that made you come to the realization or I've either a got a drinking problem or be I want to get this drinking situation under control. Um, yeah, well, I think my social circle became kind of more more centered around drinking than it was around socialness. Certainly, some of my friendships have changed in the last two years. Oh, Dave, Dave says I'm loving myself more. Yeah, or just totally. So, sorry, what was the question again? I guess I was asking whether were there incidents or was there an incident or incidents that kind of got you to the point where you wanted to take action around your drinking. Yeah, totally. Okay, so it was like, it was a social thing. It was a work thing to I think, I think it's initially very awkward to not drink at work things when people are drinking, you know, you feel like you're going to ruin the work deals or the ideas or some kind of thing. I found that before this group impossible to think about like how would I, how would I avoid that with drinking. There's other places in the country where drinking is a big part of work and social lives and the Yukon is one of them I think we're like the number one drinkers in Canada. And so, and then also I had some other things like I had some relationship problems going on and and my son's dad had had very recently had a horrible accident at the skate park and he'd broken his neck and his face. And also within a week of that I rolled my car and my dog died. So I had these some horrible things going on and that's what I mean like the trajectory was obviously changing the wrong way and all of a sudden kind of suddenly. And it turns out putting drinking and swimming in really cold lakes. Yeah, was that the point where you saw maybe a Facebook ad for me and Project 90 and that's where you reached out and we chose to get accountability and support and coaching around your drinking for the 90 days was it around that around that time was that like the catalyst or were they the catalysts. Well you have a magnificent memory it was, it's funny because I, I had always wondered I think and I've said this to you before that you know do phones listen to you and target ads or whatever kind of thing. And I'll be endlessly grateful to my phone or to Facebook or whatever it was, because I had been just talking to my friend, and then suddenly my phone showed me a picture of you. And I was like, okay, let's do it. Oh good. Good. So yeah, maybe I was listening as those technology or something like you're talking about maybe I should quit alcohol was like James is in your phone. Yeah, yeah, no that was just great. Yeah. But what happened I mean it was two years ago now. What happened during those 90 days that really cemented you making this choice to now be two years alcohol free because which two years alcohol free today or at least yes, sorry yesterday. What happened during those 90 days that turned it around for you because some people can do the 90 days and then go all right I'm going to go back to drinking or I'll do some moderation like what happened during those 90 days that made it be okay I'm just going to continue on this alcohol free path. I think I'm a fairly motivated driven person and I did buy into the proposition of why don't you see if you can be more driven and achieve more without alcohol you know it's just that what if proposition hey what if you just take this out of the equation see what and and I just like how that equation is going so I am sticking with it I don't I think because I'm thinking about it that way I never even want to drink like it's not one of the it's not one of the choices of fun things to do anymore and it used to be like the choice of things to do oftentimes but but now but yeah I tend not to think about it at all and if anything I like now I think about it and I have a bit of a negative feel about it like I just didn't I'm like yeah I don't know why I would want to do that like you're attractively packaged poison that you talked about I'm like yeah actually that is kind of a weird thing to do. I can do other fun things with friends and I was saying earlier that that I still sometimes do find that conversation hard. I think if somebody surprises me they're like hey I bought some wine for us isn't that great and then there's an awkward moment right it's like who because I don't want to set people. But I'm getting better at that too and it just happened this weekend actually so I could be on this call and have failed like the day before the two years too bad but that's what my friend said she brought a bottle of wine on this camping trip she's like yeah isn't this great this is going to be so nice I was like oh yeah it's totally going to be nice you have that I have this other stuff. You know I stopped drinking a couple years ago and but still I find it a bit awkward I just wish people would not do that but whatever they do. So if you were to just before we hit record here on this podcast episode and this is for the podcast listener we've got about 12 project 90 clients on the call now on a zoom call this is how we're recording this we did a lot of exercise where. I invited our clients to write down all the reasons why they were awesome this past week you know like to be their own public relations company. And then people spent the few minutes writing those things down and then we went into little breakout rooms and and we shared with with each other why we're awesome so let me ask the question to you Jenna why. Have these last two years been awesome for you like why are you awesome being alcohol free. The main thing is to do with truly enjoying myself more that's just a general. A general observation and I've always enjoyed myself I'm an interesting fun person and and I like that about myself but certainly me one of the concerns with quitting drinking is I thought maybe my creativity would go away. I think I grew up thinking you know care whack and the beat next you got to you got to do all the drink and drugs or whatever and have a typewriter and write novels. But but it didn't it's it's gotten better and more thoughtful so I enjoy that and I continue to enjoy it more. I guess I used to always feel torn between work and my family and now I feel I feel like I can do both well, which is a really balancing feel Renee Brown has a note. She says mind the gap so here's where your dreams or goals are or where you think you should be and here's where you are now and just keep an eye on that gap and don't let it get too wide. And I think I had let it get wide which which for a time I tried to solve with drinking and that didn't work very well. But now it seems like it seems like the gap is shrinking and also my goals and my expectations of myself are growing and being more becoming more interesting. And so that's kind of cool. The bar is the bar is moved I'm doing I have much more expectations on myself than I did before and I'm meeting them quite well I feel and that just feels like magic. Beautiful. I love that. Let me open up to our project 90 clients to now ask you some questions. Jenna, thank you so much for answering mine. And just can I just invite project 90 clients when you introduce yourself. Just say in that your first name and then what how many days alcohol free you are so for example it might be you know, John day 52 for example and then ask your question to Jenna likewise if you want to acknowledge Jenna for something. Feel free to do so who'd like to go first. Question or acknowledgement cafe you look like you've got something to say. Hi, I'm Kathy. Miami 26 days alcohol free. I had a question for Jim she had mentioned about social. Do you feel that you needed to change your friends or that was on your own that you felt that you made a change of acquaintances. No, I didn't. I've changed how I socialize I think I don't change I haven't changed my friends at all I do quite enjoy going to the bar with friends you know when the pandemic allows I guess and what I do these days is, and I know there's other costs to drinking than just the cost of booze but I figure I'm ahead of the game so I tend to buy my friends drinks and they really like that. So, the friends that are friends because they're my friends. Nothing changed with that. There was some kind of drinking friends that have that have dropped off I don't see them and it's because that's what we did right. So, I found it was, it was really cool being able to go to the bar and be able to not have that feeling like like you're some kind of a weird weirdo. Because you're not. And I really, I really like how a number of my friends when they have house parties, because I haven't really publicly announced this no drinking thing I tell people sometimes but they make my friends they know and they have started making these zero proof drinks and they've, you know, they care for me they make these lovely things for me so. Yeah, some of my friends have changed but it's because you know they weren't the friends that are the forever friends they're, they're still forever friends and during the pandemic I don't know I had no friends so that was no problem but I guess it's still the pandemic I don't know it's all very confusing in Canada with the pandemic. And I'm sure it is all over the world. But, yeah. Okay. I don't know does that answer your question. It was probably more acquaintances that dropped off and your true friends acknowledge and respect you and you didn't really have to make any changes of your true friends. Yeah. And, and do you know I think, I think probably, you know work acquaintances who knew me. I'm pretty sure they knew I was drinking a bit too much and I think they just quietly think that. Oh, it's kind of nice that, but I'm not so loud anymore. So yeah, yeah. I wouldn't say that I feel any negative outcome friend wise. I feel very supported. Great question, Kathy. Who else? Let's let's get some more questions. Well, I'm, I feel lucky because I actually got to talk to you earlier. This is Evan. And I'm curious about your, your son and maybe how I don't know two years ago how old he was then and if there's been kind of any difference in your relationship with your son. And since you quit drinking, I've got two young kids at home to and right and I'd love to get that place where they don't even remember their, their dad ever drank. So, yeah, that's really cool. I think. Oh, so in answer to your question, he's eight now. So he was six then. And so I think timing wise, it's quite good. I don't think he remembers a drinking mom. So that's great or a drinking sad mom, right? Oh, so sad. And so, as far as, you know, is it altruistic? There's a term altruistic selfishness, where, you know, doing benefits for yourself helps others, or altruistic self interest, I think is the thing. And that's how I feel when I picture my son's repercussions from this project. That's it. Like he is massively gaining from a mom who gets early on, you know, early on weekend days or I mean now I'm always the mom that goes swimming with the kids or that makes the pancakes in the morning or whatever kind of thing. And how lovely to be so wholesome and fun. And I certainly benefit from that. And he does too. Do you know what he called me the other day? He called me bro mom. I think that's, that's pretty good. Actually, it's coming from an eight year old bro mom. That's super cool. Very inspirational. Thank you. Evan, how many days alcohol free are you by the way? Five days in the program, 15 days alcohol free. Amazing. Congratulations. Round of applause for Evan. Thank you. Well done. Thank you. More questions or acknowledgments? Who wants to roll in with the question? Cody, Cody, we'll go with Cody first. Sorry, Cody, what day, how many days alcohol free are you, Cody? Day 50 with project 90, day 54, no alcohol. And we're rocking and rolling. Yeah. I'm over the hill now. I'm over. I went through my midlife crisis already. Just kidding because that's not halfway because halfway is that that's I ain't going back. So Jenna, your story is very inspiring to me. I have a 10 and six year old as well. And just like Evan said, I want to be that I want to I want all most of their memories to be a sober and very present and very qualitative father, you know, and so I can just tell that you probably are just a kickass mom. And I just want to acknowledge the fact that this is the longest standing person that I've had come back on and heard heard this from so it just feels really good to see it two years down the road and that glow and that zest and that spunk and that excitement for life. And like, I think at the very end of like your initial dialogue, you had said, you talked about the Brené Brown quote, like minding the gap with our bigger goals in life. But then you also kind of like brought it back to a personal level about having healthy expectations and really hitting that mark on a day to day basis. And that really resonated with me like, because sometimes we get so lofty in thinking about that that gap can feel so big in this moment right where we have very such a great scale of varying dreams and aspirations from character qualities to you know whatever it is to potential stability things and things of all sorts. But with the day to day stuff the small victories, I think those are sometimes the most challenging to appreciate and challenging to capture. When I was drinking, I never noticed them like they kind of would go all under the rug like the little tiny moments of magic of the day of just showing up earlier, or getting up before my alarm, or picking out my outfit for work the night before, or just having things doing dishes well before I was you know prompted by my better half like anything of that accord just feels you know the small small things I think are sometimes the biggest things and you know I really sense that in your stories so I just wanted to point that out and say that that really touched me so Thanks. Oh, thank you. Great observation Cody yeah the small things we can, we can so easily overlook, which is why we, which is why I encouraged all of our clients to be writing down the 20 things that we're grateful for each day, and for 20 reasons why we're awesome. So we can shine a light on those things and not sweep them under the rug to borrow your phrase Cody so great observation there thank you for sharing that. Who else, who else has a question Anna you had a question I think how many days alcohol free are you Anna. 29 29 round of applause for Anna great job. To our podcast listener, if you can't hear the round of applause because most of our clients are on mute at the moment, but maybe next time when we do a round of applause everyone can unmute themselves so we can fast in the in the glow of 12 people clapping their hands. Anna you had a question. I have a few but I'll try to narrow it down or at least I'll start with a two part question. Jenna think I'll just echo what everybody else has been saying thank you so much for taking the time to be here with us today I think for me and probably other people it's like a glimpse into our future. And it's just really great to see you thriving, you know, two years beyond. So, a couple of questions. One. What are the some of the habits that you learn in the P90 program that you've stuck with. And then the second part of the question which might be kind of the same is what routines do you use to the replace the previous bad habits that you had. I think those positive affirmations are what I had learned and I, I did get better with doing visualizations like I said I am a creative person and something really prize about myself, and, and I was able to use it as a tool to visualize what it's going to be like what it looks and dreams. And so I found that very helpful. It was Kevin who was the coach when when I was doing the P90. And Kevin always just, he was just so calm and gentle and like, was it Cody was observing interested in the little things and the little successes and the idea of what was he always saying like, lean into the lean into that, lean into that feeling Jenna. And, and I found that is something that I guess I've practiced ever since then and I continue to is when I have partly I think I was drinking too much because I have probably some kind of lifelong anxiety that I never managed very well but the whole, you know, when you get that feeling that when I get that anxious feeling, I get Kevin's voice saying, lean into that, you know, examine that feeling. What is it all about. Where is it coming from. And since then, I, I guess I feel like I'm getting better and better at doing that. And that is invaluable and I do that through kind of visualizing a visualized sort of surfing or something. So whatever I'm a surfer in a different way than other people on this call but yeah I just imagine like, I don't know catching a catching a wave and staying ahead of it and, and really enjoying the feeling, I guess. And I, yeah, I think, I think that perhaps is the biggest learning for me that's helped me with this, because perhaps this all crops up from some kind of lifelong anxiety that I can deal with better now. But there was a second part to your question. What was it. unmute myself. What kind of routines have you developed to keep you from returning to old bad habits. Have those been pretty solidified by now. See I just added in another question. Yeah. That's great. What James talked about is, you know, being cognizant of your eating and your health and your exercise. You know if you're working on yourself with the idea. So you're awesome. Can you be more awesome. So, first you think about the alcohol part of that recipe right and then exercise and diet and all those kind of things. So, I guess building that recipe about how can. What is the recipe that works for me to make sure that I have what I need to reach these goals that I set for myself, and sometimes also to question this goal thing right do I need to always set relentlessly bigger goals do I really need to do that and yes I do, but sometimes no and it's like you know what, let's, let's just put your son in that spot right and and let that goal go because it is actually not all that important so I think the the prioritizing is is extremely helpful for me. Thank you Jenna and thanks for the questions Anna. Who else. I have a question. Yeah, just introduce yourself by first name and and how many days alcohol free you are. We get to call you right. It's in though. Yeah, in no pressure. Yeah. So, I'm in no day five round of applause on yourself everyone. Let's let's get everyone a five. Thank you. Thank you. I'm going to ask you touched on like how you haven't really made a public announcement and that's like, you know, for me I'm building you to the program and, you know, I thought about it a couple times. Just being around like my loved ones like my brother, my sister-in-law and, you know, I haven't mentioned it because for me it's something very personal and like, I don't know I just kind of doing it for myself really at the moment and so I just want to know like, you know, your, you know, time going through P90 like, how did you deal with like telling others for keeping it to yourself and like why did you choose one over the other. Um, yeah, I think I would certainly tell people if I had to like if they were handing a drink to me, or else I'd say no thank you. I did. I did talk to my work colleagues and requested their support really strongly, because part of the reason I was doing the project is so I could keep my job like I look like I said my trajectory was turning the wrong way and I really needed, like just all of a sudden. It was, it was quite surprising and I think sometimes things like that happened quite quickly. And so I had to just really kind of yank the wheel back onto a positive direction and I did need all of their help because what I needed to do was not have work stress for a little while and I just focused on this thing that was very new I found that when I did things kind of everything that I did for a little while I felt a bit like a debutante sort of, what is it called debutante sort of present yourself to society right I think it's a southern or whatever age and you present yourself to society. I felt like I was doing that and I sort of did it secretly, but I felt a bit like, this is the new Jana, you may not know that I'm new. I know that I'm new. And I'm just going to see what this is like, because this is really cool. And through that period I was just kind of setting new habits and and sometimes talking to people if I felt like it. You're right I also felt like it was a private thing. And I did also have. And maybe I still do there's some kind of shame attached to it. I try and think about why that is because you know how can you feel like you're totally awesome and have part of your part of how you view yourself have a bit of shame involved right and. So that's I think why I'm thinking right now, you know, what is the way I can say this because people that I have talked to a number of them have actually quit drinking and, and I have sent, like I've really taken a positive leadership role with friends and people that work in all kinds of, in all kinds of situations. And I just, I just, I guess I want to share it correctly, which I am pleased that James is turning this into a podcast because I may well just say like, we do. I'll be like what the heck. As far as shame stuff. I think it's to do with that I felt a bit out of control and I don't like feeling out of control and I don't like that I could get out of control so I don't really like to don't really like to say that there was any problem or something to something to improve. I don't know that's so, but also there's something quite brave I guess and recognize there's a problem and in changing it and and in improving so and again with that altruistic self interest, you know I'm benefiting myself certainly with this whole project, and everybody else seems to get a piece of that too which is, which is really cool. It's really cool but, but it definitely is a sensitive, a sensitive part, and I'm really glad you asked that because, yeah, I often wonder about it and sometimes I say kind of weird things you know somebody catches me off guard I'll say something dumb like I never drink, or I don't know. It doesn't happen too often but then I, then I feel weird and I'm like gosh, what do I do now to, I guess it just takes time to figure out this stuff and and I think James just had like his, was it 10 years James which is pretty cool. And, and I'm looking forward to seeing you know your three and four and five and stumbling and bumbling my way through stuff. It's really, it's really great because, yeah, there you go. Thank you. Thanks for the question, Indo. And thank you, Jenna. Who else. Hey, Janet, Ian here at a day 90 day 90 for Ian unmute yourself everyone and do a big shout out. Thank you. Thank you. Dan, congratulations on your two and thanks very much for sharing your journey so far with us. And I have a two part of question as well. I wanted to ask you about day 91. Did you, did you know on day 91 that you were going to do day 180 day 270 day 365 year two year three or four year five. And how did it feel having, having graduated and going out there into the big bad worlds to do all these, reach all these extra milestones and having moved on from the 90. I think on day 91. Well what Kevin had said is, it's kind of hard to sign up for doing something forever, but you can have attainable bits of time. And he suggested, you know, as the 90 days progressed, that you just think of it as oh this is something that I'm doing right now for a certain period of time. That works well for me. I think I think I can start to think of drinking is just something that I don't do, rather than putting a time to it. And, and sometimes I might say, you know, well maybe it's something I'll do again but I think it's just not it's just not something I want to do again it. It's like a date gone badly. And so, I think I could just leave it at that you know it's okay well I learned what that's like and, and I'm just not going to do that again. So, I think that answers both parts of your question does it not. Yeah. Okay, great. Thanks, John. Just a little side question in as you're on day 90 now. What are what are your thoughts about what you're going to do from here. It's just incredible. And the transformation in myself from from day one to day 90. And the way I'm feeling now, like this could be day one. I have a plan for the next 90 days. I have a plan for the 90 days after that and for after that. None of those periods involves I'll call it off. I just it's. Yeah, I just want it to be part of history now. And I'm very, very much like Janet. No desire. No desire to drink anything. I was even thinking yesterday, you know, I could get another night today's Edward by having it by doing it. This is fun to drink a glass of wine. Oh, it's great. It's great to it's it's great to it's great to feel like that at the end of this at the end of this initial part of the journey. Thank you. I agree. It seems like it seems like I'm not so it's not something that I ever actively avoid it since I started this P 90 group, because it was a positive shift in thinking and so that seems to me that for me that worked and and so far it's stuck and it seems like it will for some time to come. Thank you Jenna thank you and someone else go to question. Yeah, Dave. How many days alcohol free Dave. God I need a calculator hang on. No for me two years in on February the 18th, whatever that was. So, yes. And I'll go for a pause and some woo hoo for Dave by the way. Great job. I say alcohol free because for me and this is part of my question Jenna, whether you felt this and how you would express this yourself but for me I never. I never really chose to drink alcohol. Someone or something or some society here in Australia or advertising or whatever it was might seem to make that decision for me so I was never. I never until I met I met James and he invited me to his alcohol free weekend in Venice Beach. Two years ago last February or March perhaps it was and up and I kid you not this is what happened. I met him and he said I said hey can I have a coffee with you said no I'm too busy for a coffee why don't you come to my event I'll send you a link. So he sent me a link. I clicked on the link and I kid you not. I looked at the screen. The screen said alcohol free living and I was looking at this thinking. Holy crap. I've never even thought of that for myself like it was never anything that I even thought was a thing. And all of a sudden it became a possibility that I could choose not to drink as opposed to drinking. So Jenna, have you felt that you've now got a choice and this is a continual choice that you're making not to drink whereas before it was a situation that you never really chose. You just did it because it was some habit that was so strongly ingrained. How would you, how would you express that to someone else about the freedom that's come from now being empowered where you can choose or you can, you can choose to or you can choose not to. I think that idea of choice is very real because I feel like I didn't really have a choice before and I don't really know what the reason was. I think it was partly that I'd said habits, partly it was some a bit of armor, you know, we all put up our armor in different ways. And certainly going to something and having a glass of wine between you and the other people there's something about that that is that at the time I felt helpful and I didn't know how to how to not like how to not have that piece of armor but it turns out that life was more fun without that kind of armor. So, I think that word choice is exactly right, knowing that, well, knowing that you can do it without those, those kind of unhelpful helpers right like shitty helpers. So yeah, I think you're right and did you go to that alcohol free thing or was that the one that was canceled. Oh, you're lucky, you're lucky guy because there was the one maybe it was just the last year when that got canceled, and I was so excited I was going to go I was even going to go with a friend. And it was pretty. Yeah, I was very much looking forward to it and so I hope there's another one coming up I know that there's all kinds of considerations but I was so looking forward to that because I was like, man, it'll be so cool. So cool to meet all these people that I've met in person on these calls and then all these other people that are just circling around within this idea. So, sometimes soon, but I get to meet y'all here that's very cool as well thank you very much as well for having me here. Of course, yeah Dave attended the 2019 one, and then I have this weekend alcohol free weekend. Wellness weekend where we in Venice Beach, California and we took a conference for a couple days but then we also go out on the beach and do some beach dancing and we go for a hike up in the Santa Monica Mountains area and everyone gets to connect and it's a completely alcohol free weekend and. Yeah, it was a great experience if sadly I had to cancel it because of the pandemic in in 2020. And yes, we will be doing another one, soon as things open up a little bit so yeah. All right, well great well thank you so much for your questions to our project 90 clients and. Thank you so much to Jana for sharing your experience and your guide and having your guidance and your expertise on being two years alcohol free and congratulations. It's amazing I mean it's personally amazing for me to see someone become a client and then two years down the line just see how they are and their way of being being so much just so much energy and happiness and clarity and focus. It's just a real gift for me to see that. And I so appreciate you Jana for sharing with our clients and with our podcast listeners so thank you. Thank you very much. This has just been the best thing ever good couple of years and looking forward to the next whole bunch of years like this. Yeah, amazing. I want to just go around quickly if anyone needs to leave because we've gone over time, feel free to that's no problem but. I want to ask that would anyone like to share what they discovered or learned on this call what was like what felt valuable about this particular call if you wanted to share what felt valuable just unmute yourself and and share and we'll go around the group and maybe do three people. The clients are pondering they're pondering I can see their brains. Ian go for it. I just think it's so reassuring to see somebody like yourself is so comfortable in their own skin. Not drinking, because I'm sure I speak for everybody but when we start this question. There's an uneasiness that takes time to shake off you know there's anticipated own comfort about okay I have to go out next week and how I get over that for me. There was a couple of hurdles. I go out and meet my friends in the park how I go out with my workmates when we're sitting down having a having a meal at the end of the day and family reunions and things like that. But as as time goes on, certainly over these 90 days. Those hurdles just got smaller and smaller, I got more comfortable and comfortable and in those situations but just watching you and hearing you over the last hour or so it's it's quite clear that you're that you're very comfortable in your skin and you're very comfortable. Not drinking. Regardless of who you're with or what you're doing and I just think that that's very, very reassuring. Thank you. Thank you, Ian. Someone else want to share what felt valuable about this call today. Yeah sure I'll just jump in. Cody Cody out of Oakland. I really some of the some of your like phrases that you said in your stories were really stuck with me. Like altruistic self interest. I love that, because we talked about on previous podcast episodes with James like healthy selfish right being healthy selfish because it's like, no I'm doing this for myself I'm standing up and reclaiming kind of re empowering myself and making a choice for me. That's what I'm doing. And so I love this sense of altruistic self interest and I love that that that how you how you coined that. I also love how you coined phrases are my favorite thing so like language is one of my favorite things so attainable bits of time you're like, I'm not worried about it but it's just going to be forever it's just an attainable bit of time it's very casual and very achievable right then it's like I'm doing this right now and that's that. And it doesn't have to be this whole. What am I going to do when I go to a wedding five years from now or what am I going to do one day when I'm retired and I want to own a vineyard, you know, what am I going to do when I, all of these kind of ideas that come up in our head that alcohol is always there and showing its face. And I just like how you're like, no, this attainable amount of time, this bite size tangible thing that I can express myself right here today and meet that expectation. So again, Jenna banana, if I'm pronouncing that correctly is really wasn't honored to listen to you. Thank you so much for rockin and shining your light. And I'm going to do the same. That's all. I just want to say that really no question or anything just a sense of acknowledgement again. Amazing Cody. Thank you mate. One more one person want to share what they discovered or what felt valuable for them or acknowledgement one more. I think what Ian and I were talking about earlier about him showing up as a really good dad this last week, and his being five and six and Jan is being, you know, six and I think having older kids. I think that your young kids will only see you and remember you in this wonderful positive light and strong and I wish I could have had that but you know what, it's never too late, and I can start today, and I can go forward and I've already seen positive things in the past 64 days with my 20 somethings. And it's a big thing I think our families and our kids and our husbands and our spouses and our everybody the influence we're having on them. So I really liked you sharing that that was great. Thank you. Hello, and I love that what you said there you can start today. It's never too late and this is just for our listener on the on the podcast. If you would like to start today like to have a conversation about joining us in project 90. I'll give you a couple ways you can do that you can go you can book an exploratory phone call with one of our amazing coaches and the website for that is alcohol free lifestyle.com. There you go. Someone's got a cool little ringtone and background background there for dramatic effect. That website is alcohol free lifestyle.com forward slash schedule. You can book a time to speak to one of our coaches will ask you a few questions and then we'll call you. Or if you're in the US and you're on a mobile phone, you can text me at the number 44222. Just text me the word project 90, and I will text you back the link where you can schedule that exploratory call. Janet, thank you so much again for your time. We'll let you go now and we'll just we'll do a sign off here with without you just without without clients. But Janet, thank you so much again really appreciate you and onwards and upwards. We'll have you back here on three years alcohol free four years and five years maybe. Totally totally let's do it. That sounds great. I totally can't wait to meet all of you guys at the beach disco in Venice Beach whenever it is. I'm looking forward to it. Cool. Thank you. Thank you, Janet. You can you can depart. I'm going. I'm going. See you Janet. There we go. All right. Wonderful. Well that was great guys. That feel good. I see lots of smiling faces. Yeah. Yeah, I love it. So what I'm going to invite you guys to do now is when we hang up here in a second just go on a Marco Polo and just share what felt valuable because obviously we've got clients who weren't on this particular call couldn't make it for whatever reason. Remember the fastest way to learn anything is to teach it. So I invite you to go and teach it right now by just paying up on the zoom call going on to Marco Polo recording a little selfie video and sharing it with our other members who weren't able to be here. That will both help them and it will help reinforce what you just learned in your own brain. Sound good. All right guys. It was so great to see you and we'll see you on one of the next calls. All right. See you guys. Congrats Ian. Actually, Ian stay here on the call. I'm just going to press stop on the podcast and I'll talk to you now privately. And to the podcast listener. Thank you so much for listening and we'll catch you on the next one. Thank you so much for listening to today's episode. I want to load you up with some free stuff. If you look in the show description, there's a link there to get my guide, which is the alcohol freedom formula guide. And in that guide, I will walk you through the process and system for successfully reducing or putting alcohol. It's the same system and process that I give to my clients inside of project 90. And if you would like to get your hands on that guide, you can click the link in the description part of this episode, or you can go to alcoholfreelifestyle.com forward slash guide. Likewise, if you would like to be considered for project 90 to join our community and get some accountability, coaching and have fun, achieve some goals over at least 90 days with our help and support, then you're invited to schedule a complimentary coaching call with one of my coaches. You can do that by clicking the link in the show description or going to alcoholfreelifestyle.com forward slash schedule. Now project 90 is for over 30s only, and it's really for people who are ready to get long term power over alcohol. You don't have to quit forever, but you will have to quit for at least 90 days with our support. Just a reminder, 95% of my content is free and plastered all over the internet. If you just Google James Swanik and the word alcohol, you'll find that for those of you who want additional support. If you want coaching, fun, accountability, if you realize that you can't do this on your own or you just plain don't want to, then I invite you to schedule that call and we can talk about if project 90 is for you. If you would like to take some of my supplements, swanvitality.com is the website. I'll put a link in the show notes as well. I have a liver support product called loving liver, which I designed and specially formulated to help remove toxins from your liver after years of alcohol consumption. Again, there's a link in the show description. We've also got a green powder there, which turns into a green juice filled with amazing ingredients to support you and give you energy throughout the day. And there's also a magnesium product which I take every night to help me prepare for sleep and to sleep through the night. So there's a few options there. Lastly, if this episode or the show in general has helped you or supported you in any way, I would so appreciate it if you would write a review. It really does help the show climb the rankings and expose the show to people who don't yet know about us. So if this show has benefited you in any way and you feel compelled to pay it forward, just writing a short little review, hopefully a nice one will be so appreciated and I will thank you immensely. Lastly, if you'd like to talk to me about anything at all, feel free to send me an email at James at alcoholfreelifestyle.com. I do read and respond to every email. And you can also follow me on Instagram at at James Swan and send me a message there. And I look forward to connecting with you soon. Catch you on the next one.