Guide to long-term sobriety

The equation for Long-Term Sobriety is Willingness to Change which is a given, then (Motivation x Acceptance) + (Grit x Gratitude) = Long-Term Sobriety
Willingness to change is a given in getting sober. You have to have that.
I believe you need one big motivation or several of them to want to stay sober. My motivation was keeping my job. I didn’t want the embarrassment of losing my job to this stupid drug. Maybe your motivation is your health and peace of mind or your family.
I define Grit as having tenacity and persistence to keep going amid challenges and great adversity on a path that is a long-term goal in one’s life. Grit is key to success in anything you peruse.
I believe grit and motivation are 1 huge key to success and long-term sobriety.
The Second big key is the 2nd part of the equation mentioned above.
One needs acceptance in their belief of not ever drinking alcohol again. This can be one of the hardest parts to quitting alcohol. This could involve going through the grief process. After all its like your best friend and lover just died.
Gratitude is necessary too. It is key to happiness which you need in sobriety. If you are miserable in sobriety then what’s the point? Of course life will always have adversity and challenges. Sobriety doesn’t make life automatically wonderful. One may be going through divorce and dealing with huge debt and a lot of relationship and job problems when getting sober. One needs to be grateful in what you do have in life.

I am sure having a great support network can be helpful. I am not a people person so I get support from the internet recovery sites and videos. Some of the sites are SMART Recovery- which includes practical help to stop drinking along with worksheets for you to fill out. Livingsobersucks.com offers the humorous side to quitting alcohol. There are a lot of videos on youtube that have free advice for quitting alcohol too.
Also one needs to find new sober activities to do. You can go bowling without drinking beer. Find a sport you are interested to do. Try painting or another craft that would be fun for you. Find replacement drinks like tea, coffee, and some other non-alcoholic drinks. I personally like drinking sparkling water with a bit of cranberry juice in it in a wine glass. It tastes refreshing.
The final important thing is to believe in yourself. You have the power to quit alcohol. God believes in you and loves you.