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Goals, Problem Solving, Overcoming Obstacles, 365 videos in One Year

by | Stop Drinking Alcohol | 36 comments

Today, I want to talk about goal-setting, problem-solving and overcoming obstacles, that kind of thing.

This one is just going to be about a personal goal that I’m setting for the next year, just as an example of what you can actually achieve when you put your mind to it.

So, the goal is…I’ll give you the background first.

I’ve got over 300 videos on YouTube now and on the website, and they really start from Day 1 to a few weeks ago.

I haven’t put up any videos in the last couple of weeks, and it’s something that I really enjoy doing.

I like getting out for these walks, I like putting out the videos and I like teaching.

So,

my goal is to do one video every single year for the next year.

When I say it out loud like that and I know this is going live and stuff.

This is where I get my best leverage.

I hope that by putting this out there, people will keep me on track.

It’s going to be a big challenge putting up one video every single day from the 1st of July until the 30th of June next year.

That’s including weekends, including holidays, including Christmas Day, including New Year’s Day…all those days I’m going to put up a brand new video.

And, I want to put up some god stuff, you know? Not just a video for the sake of putting up videos, but stressing a point, addressing some issue.

The subject can be anything from quitting drinking to goal-setting to moving forward into your new goal.

The more I get into this, the further I get away from my old life.

The further into my new life I get, the more I realise that this is all about lifestyle;

it’s all about change in your life.

It’s about forgetting what you’ve done in the past, what the past has thrown in your way, and moving forward into something better.

I think one of the biggest problems that people have with quitting drinking is that they don’t move forward.

So, anyway, a lot of the videos are going to be about that, about moving forward into a new life, into something great that you can do for yourself.

That’s my whole point; that’s what I want to do with my life.

I want to achieve something great.

I want to make a difference.

I’m not looking for personal fame or anything like that, I don’t like that actually.

I avoid personal meetings like the plague.

I’ve had a few opportunities to speak in public and go to conferences and stuff like that and I just haven’t done that yet.

So that’s one of the things where I’m going to have to get out of my comfort zone in future to do it, fair enough.

But maybe I won’t do it.

Maybe that’s just not me.

Maybe that’s something that I won’t ever do.

I don’t know.

But, as it stands, I love doing what I’m doing.

I think I can help to make a difference in people’s lives.

I think I’m making a difference in some people’s lives.

So, that’s the idea behind the 365 videos in 1 year.

It’s going to be tough, but the number 1 reason I’m doing this is to try and help, to try and put out as much information onto YouTube as I can, about how to change, how to turn your back on alcohol, how to move forward, how to change some of the bullshit ideas that have been put into our heads for our entire lives, you know.

These are not very old ideas, alcoholism and sobriety and all this kind of shit.

These are only relatively recent, maybe two or three generations old, but they’re certainly there in our lives, and they’re certainly making an impact on our lives, so that’s what I’m going to try to do, just try to bring awareness around to that bullshit, that propaganda that’s either fed to us by the alcohol industry or the quit alcohol industry, by our own governments that say ‘this is a good thing. You have to do this but you have to do this in moderation’, all that kind of stuff.

Another reason I want to do it is because it’s a personal challenge.

I would have never looked for a personal challenge while I was drinking, except it was to beat my own record of how many pints I could down in one session, or the stupid drink games. That was the sad limit to my challenging nature.

I wanted to build a business, I wanted to do good things in my life, but the alcohol always took over.

The alcohol always sort of got in there, got its little finger in…

It’s not the alcohol, it’s the behaviour.

It’s my own behaviour manifesting itself in this way, and I guess that’s the way it turned out.

Anyway, now I’m up for challenges. I’m halfway through a challenge at the moment that I set up at the beginning of the year to try and lose those extra few pounds.

I mean, I love walking, I love getting out but…I love sitting down too.

I like sitting down in front of my desk, I like watching telly.

At the heart of me, I’m a lazy bastard.

So, that challenge at the beginning of the year was to walk 3,650 km in the one year so that works out to about 10km per day.

I should be about 150km over the target, by the time I finish this walk.

I’ve been tracking it with an excel spreadsheet, so every day I put in my walks.

I’ve got an app that keeps me on target and tells me how many kilometres I’m doing and when I’ve passed a kilometre.

I’ve had a couple of issues along the way by listening to the app, in the sense that I’ve been trying to beat my times.

And this was never the purpose of it, to do this in the quickest possible time.

I don’t like doing that because every time I do that, because of my nature, I injure myself.

You can only walk so fast, and once you try and walk faster than you can walk, you’re going to start running.

And, every time I run, I injure myself.

I don’t like running, and I wasn’t liking what I was doing, you know.

My whole thing used to be to go out and do videos or think or listen to audiobooks.

I like the fact that I can do two things at once.

I can get out walking, get my exercise in and get my brain exercised at the same time.

So, that’s where that challenge is.

I really like doing the videos, it’s something that is, because it’s free, it’s widespread, anybody can do it.

I think it’s just something that I wanted to do.

I’m going to learn a bit more about myself, a lot about my own stamina. I learned a lot about tracking and keeping myself on target.

I learned a lot about my business as well.

I’m a statistical person so I’m always looking at the stats and how many people are commenting on YouTube and how many people are coming to the website, that kind of thing.

So, I think it’s going to be challenging or me that way as well, to sort of get over them.

So, that’s my challenge, 365 videos in 1 year, 1 every day.

I’ll get them up on YouTube and also send out a newsletter everyday…I’m not sure about that or whether that’s going to work out or not but definitely the 365 videos.

I’ll see how people react and if everyone wants to get an email from me every day.

The beginning of the newsletter was to send out weekly reminders or daily reminders of your new journey, and to stick to it.

I sort of haven’t done that.

Maybe I’ll incorporate that into one or two sentences with the link to the video.

It’s not going to take a lot of time to do that.

I think the difficulty with that is going to be when I’m away, so I’m going to have to figure out how to do that.

That’s basically what it’s about, figuring out the goals that you want to achieve, figuring out any problems along the way.

There’re two different ways you can go into this, you can sort of figure out your angle and either break those angles down into smaller chunks, into smaller goals and go for those, or you can get your angle and you can break them down into problems.

So, if you like solving problems, then that’s probably a better way to go about this, to figure out what the problems are going to be along the way and work your way towards your final result that way.

For me, I like setting goals but I also like figuring out problems as well, so that’s going to be a big challenge for me.

So that’s the challenge.

Hopefully you’ll get on board.

If you have any suggestions, please give me a feedback every single day, if you can.

Leave a comment down below on the post here or on YouTube.

Just let me know what I’m doing right or wrong, what you’d like to see me doing.

Constructive criticism is always welcome.

If I can figure out what I’m doing wrong, that’s going to lead me to doing right.

I’d love to hear your opinions.

DON’T LIMIT YOUR CHALLENGES, CHALLENGE YOUR LIMITS

Until next time…
Onwards and Upwards!

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36 Comments

  1. Wayne

    Great video Kevin, been off the drink for 3 weeks now and feeling awesome again. I’ve been off before for about 6/7 months but went back on a well can’t turn back the clock. last night in work I decided to reduce my refined sugar intake as well to see how that goes over July. It’s all about setting goals

    A little suggestion:live in the real world. I mean don’t hide away find things you would like to try or rekindle something that you done before alcohol replaced it. My goal is to do 20 press ups and 50 sit ups everyday for a year okay haven’t started yet but it’s not far away just need to get the motivation

    Regards Wayne

    Reply
  2. Sandy Wamble

    Challenges are rewarding, and one video a day is an extreme challenge. I love all your videos, and especially how you can keep eye contact with some on the opposite side of the world and follow them with your eyes, that is what really strikes me hard. Eye contact was intriguing, but more difficult in a moving video such as trail walking,which is a bit difficult to watch since I almost felt dizzy from all of the motion I think.
    I am always interested in health and fitness, and how to overcome obstacles in my life, and you are doing a great job on that. You are more like a Life Coach Kevin, all people suffer from something and most of it is health related and our stinking thinking. Right now for me is fear of starting something or procrastination. I put chores, work, helping others first before I even get started on one of my goals. I put it off to the end of the end, and that is when I say…I am too tired. Maybe I have too many goals? Maybe the goals I desire have big learning curves to just get started. Probably all of the above. Thank you Kevin, keep on keeping on! Sept. 3rd is my one year anniversary of Healthy Living alcohol free and I feel like a billion dollars.

    Reply
  3. Branka

    Good luck with your challenges, Kevin! Btw, tomorrow will be my first 6 AF months and you have been an important part of my journey, so thanks. ?

    Reply
    • Kevin O'Hara

      Congrats Branka, glad to help 🙂

      Reply
  4. skip

    Wow! Video a day for 365 days..so, I am committing to 365 days of no booze. My goal is to check in with you everyday on what I am doing, not what I am not doing(drinking). I am very strong willed and talented but up to now that has kept me drinking.(contradictory as it sounds). I cannot stop that in me, but I can transform that strength in a new direction..as Ali said “not counting the days but making each day count”. So, today I will bike ride 10 miles.(my positive goal). Thanks for videos..will be watching every day..skip

    Reply
    • Kevin O'Hara

      I’m with you Skip 🙂

      Reply
  5. Shane McEvoy

    16 days in with alcohol no part of my life just looking back to catch the videos I’ve missed. Such a big help to me and I’m on board each and every day, thanks kevin.

    Shane McEvoy

    Reply
  6. wilfredo v

    Thanks for your videos kevin, very motivational. I have been clean since July 29, my birthday not that long ago, but is the beginning of my journey. I decided to give my body the greatest gift(no alcohol anymore) enough of that bs. I started when I was 14, 43 now. Enough is enough. Am sick of been sick.

    Reply
  7. Chris

    I discovered your Podcast during a recent hospitalization due to my alcohol abuse. Sadly, I have been drinking for about 30 years heavily and my body has suffered greatly because of it. I’ve been to rehab twice and both times drank on the way home..

    I hope this time will be different, but I understand that I have to find new ways to solve this problem. So, after listening to some of your old podcasts about getting ready to stop drinking, I started going to AA and signed up for your 365 day challenge.

    Today was the first video that I watched. It was good to see you and your walk vs. just listening to the audio.

    I hadn’t considered setting any goals, other than to be sober, but after hearing/seeing your commitment to 365 videos in a year and 3650 km’s walked in a year, I’ve made a goal to walk 365 miles in a year starting today. It may not sound like a lot, but my body and my health are really in poor condition.

    Thanks for the inspiration and I look forward to watching more of your work.
    Chris

    Reply
    • Kevin O'Hara

      Good for you Chris…it all starts with the first steps. I hope you’ll keep coming back for support 🙂

      Reply
  8. tom

    great work Kevin, i just starting watching your info. two nights a go and its a really good help, im on the quest for my own goals, ill be following you for sure as much as possible…thanks keep the good work!

    Reply
  9. Aidan

    Thanks for all your help Kevin. It’s fantastic to watch your videos and gain inspiration. My wife and I quit drinking alcohol after it almost ruined our marriage. In fact I was about 4 hours away from booking a flight back to Ireland one way and I went out to the pub and met some friends to say goodbye. Whatever happened in those 4 hours of soul searching, I left the pub MID PINT (HA!), hopped on the bus and made it back home. I walked in the door and told my wife that I would never drink again because I knew it was the only thing that was ruining our marriage. My “reason” is the gut-wrenching hurt I felt when I thought it was all over. Never in my 38 years have I felt anything like it. It was like someone you love beyond words dying. I was actually grieving if that makes sense.

    I had to answer the all important question: Do I love booze more than my wife and 9 years of marriage? Whilst the illusion of booze would have me believe I loved booze more, the reality is that my emotional reaction clearly presented the polar opposite. It told me that my heart, spirit, mind and soul were yearning to break away from the poison and back into a wonderful, love filled relationship.

    We both broke down in tears. We both knew that both of us needed to get the poison out of our lives for good so that we could once again be strong, in love again, using this journey to heal and grow. We both knew it was the only thing in our relationship that was destroying it. Absolutely every other aspect (when we wouldn’t drink) was solid. Best mates. Soul Mates. Lovers.

    I am checking into your videos each morning Kevin, and from the bottom of my heart I wanted to thank you for not only being an incredible human being, but for being an inspiration to others globally. My wife catches up during the evenings and we are both looking forward to a long, healthy, exciting, loving and sober life.

    Reply
    • Kevin O'Hara

      That is one great story Aidan. Thanks for sharing 🙂 It’s fantastic that you’ve chosen to take this journey together. I bet you’re both going to achieve some heights. Let us know how you’re getting along. All the very best to you both, Kevin 🙂

      Reply
      • Micheline

        Hi Kevin,
        I am a french canadian from Québec province. I have stopped drinking alcohol on January 3rd 2013. Six months after I fell into a coma had to be hospitalized for diabetes type!. I did not know that I had diabetes. I could’nt see clearly for 3 months. I have to take insuline 4 times a day. On March the 23 and 24 2017, last month, I lived a very high stress situation and relapsed for two nights. I discovered your videos and listen to them every day. Even after 4 years of being sober, I was starting to think of alcohol but do not want to start again. I haven’t drank since but I am afraid to fall again. Could you talk about when somebody who has stpooed for 4 yeras and had a relapse and regret it deeply can help just put that relapse behind me.

        Reply
        • Kevin O'Hara

          Hi Micheline, watch out for that video… :-)… You have to look at any relapse as just a blip on the screen of your overall life… This is a learning curve… You are learning a skill, not drinking… You are Going to make mistakes when learning any skill, whether that mistake be taking a drink or not… Considering as minor detour… This is not again, this is your life… Don’t let anybody else tell you that you need to start back at the beginning. And don’t, don’t, don’t beat yourself up about it… It does you no good whatsoever.

          Reply
  10. Tom

    I’m just starting day four without alcohol after heavy dunking for 15 years and am already noticing small improvements. My wife just filed for divorce and is moving out today. If I make it through the next 3-4 months your vids will be a major reason. Thanks.

    Reply
    • Kevin O'Hara

      I wish you the best of luck Tom. Sorry to hear about your trouble.

      Reply
  11. Ryan

    Kevin,
    Thank you for making these videos. You have inspired me to change my life around. I really appreciate all you have been doing!!

    Reply
  12. Lorraine

    I will be watching your Vidoes everyday. I have watched many via YouTube. I used Soberistas a few years ago then they asked for payment. Not a big deal, but asking to donate a Contribution would have been better. Considering they sell their books.
    I lost my way! Drank in Moderation! WINE! Can’t just drink a glass, have to finish the bottle. Then had a light-bulb moment and came across your WebSite. Fantastic.
    I have been AF 5days now, Everytime I get a moment, I log on and watch one of your Videos.
    I like the fact you Walk and Present, it Inspires.
    You are down to Earth and say it how it is, I can relate to everything you say.
    Your voice is good to listen to, you are a natural person.
    An Ex VT with Conditions. You have helped me realise that it is of no benefit to mask a problem with Wine.
    It is also good to be able to have the resource of someone I can relate with, rather than fumble my way through, as friends and family can’t really relate or support, unless you are in such a position then people just are not interested.
    I am moving back to UK, April, time to stop being a recluse and live. I am moving in with my best friend, she will support me 100%
    TTFN?

    Reply
    • Kevin O'Hara

      Glad you like it…it’s good to hear you will have full support from someone…it helps a lot 🙂

      Reply
  13. Janis Jessop

    Thanks Kevin…that is a huge goal!!!! I would like to say, that doing 10,000 steps /day would be a goal I would like to achieve, besides quitting the booze and cigarettes…..You are right that a life-style shift is a must when attempting to quit drinking….it is hard to keep on track….but just pathetic how much sitting is involved in drinking!!!! Exercise is key to a healthy body, as we age , even more so.
    thanks for all you do! Do you live in Ireland or in Spain? Janis

    Reply
  14. Mike Yeo

    Hello kevi,hope your well. Ive been watching your videos the guts of. 1 year and find them very important to listen too as im 41 years old from dublin taxi driver seperated dad of 3 young kids. Long time suffering from depression and attended peita house twice.for various reasons. So drink became my best freind yet i didnt know i was sleeping with thr enimey untill know. Fighting to keep my home and bad break up led to the road to my local were for one reason or another i seemed to be at most times the most popular lad in there it was my get away
    . A place were i got drunk to stop the hurt and stop feeling full stop. 18 months of this have led to money issuies weight gain and less time working and dependancy on drink to overcome the problams and got involved with a wrong woman and some people allthough not all bad. Gladly with the aid of your videos im off the drink 1 week and set myself 365 day challenge also bk training boxing twice a week and two swims with a couple of walks . Ive signed up with A.M
    . AND hope i can stay for the journey with you to get to were i need and deserve to be as im a good dad i think! And hard worker when not drinking and talking shit in the pub. I intend to never take a pint again and by doing this one thing as you said it will have a massive positive snowball effect in time i understand. More money in my pocket to provide for myself and children… less weight to carry.. looking fitter and workinh and trainin harder then ever. So i want to say your a real lifer inspiraction and thank you for comming to work with me for the past few weeks… sorry for my bad spelling. Not a strong point but you get the message… onwards anf upwards… take care… Michael

    Reply
    • Kevin O'Hara

      Hey Mike, being a frequent user of Dublin taxis in my time, I can attest that it must be a rough job sometimes. especially when you have to deal with coming out of pubs late at night… I have certainly been one of those people on many occasions in my youth… Fair play to you for getting away from the booze… Use those experiences that you see on a nightly basis as one of the things that pushes you further and further away from alcohol… I wish you the best of luck 🙂

      Reply
  15. Chris

    Thanks for the video Kevin. Today is day 1 for me, so my goal right now is to make it through day 2.

    Reply
    • Tian

      Today is my day 0 because I was drinking heavy last night and had whiskey in my coffee this morning, I promised myself I wouldn’t but I found an excuse. Did you make it through day 2?
      I once gave up for 6 six weeks last year, it wasn’t so terrible but it took something pretty bad to make me kick it in. I’ve been an excessive drinker for 20 odd years.
      Perhaps we could try and see if we can finally knock it on the head?

      Reply
  16. Nat

    I like these videos! The honesty and frankness is reassuring & helpful. Im watching for my spouse; to get a better understanding on their point of view. I hope he watches too.

    Thank you!

    Reply
  17. Amy

    Kevin,
    I am very inspired by you. I have been struggling with alcohol for 15 years, and it has become intensely difficult in the past 2 years or so. I found about 2 years of sober bliss about 6 years ago, but have not been able to find my way back. Stuck in a deep depression, drinking 3-4 bottles of vodka a week, I was about to give up. I didn’t think there was any hope for me, but I recently found you in the middle of a sleepless night. I really can’t even remember what I googled, but I’m very glad I did. I haven’t had anything to drink for 2 days. Doesn’t seem like much, but I really think that following you is going to be a good path for me to find my way back to sobriety. So THANK YOU. You are truly an inspiration and a good person.

    Reply
  18. Deb

    What a huge commitment a year..wow! I think you are wonderful..you are helping me to let go of my past.. to think..to set goals…thank you…thank you

    Reply
  19. mark white

    Hi Kevin, thank you for your fantastic video’s.
    I have just started my non drinking journey after years of alcohol abuse and lies to my wife and family.
    I’m 7 days into non drinking, I need your advice on non drinking at social occasions. I have a few parties coming up and do not want to drink alcohol. Is it OK to drink alcohol free beers on a night out. Or am I just pretending to be a drinker. I cannot face drinking water in a pub and feel if I was drinking ‘fake” beer I would feel more comfortable, and people would leave me along.

    I look forward to hearing from you.
    Kindest regards,
    Mark.

    Reply
  20. Michael spohn

    Great videos! You are making a difference! So glad you decided to do the challenge. YOUR videos and the way you speak about alcohol and your approach to an alcohol free life make to o much sense! Please keep them coming.

    Reply
  21. Noreen

    Hi Kevin,
    I’m new. Discovered your videos just ‘in time’. Thank you. For many reasons I can relate to you and what you have to say. Maybe it’s because I’m Irish too ?
    I’ve been trying for years to stop. Last night was my first and I didn’t even think of the red glass!!!! Yea!!!
    You’re doing a brilliant job, keep going. ?

    Reply
  22. Lisa

    Hi Kevin,
    I am going to watch one of your videos every day, starting today, to keep me on track. I like your perspective on “alcoholism” and the “treatment” industry. Thank you for so freely sharing you thoughts and wisdom.

    Reply

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