Every day I walk women through new techniques as they evolve their thinking from “trying not to drink” to building a completely new way of living — one where you don’t even think about alcohol.

Here are 6 things I wish I knew when I started my journey to quit drinking alcohol.

Other people’s timelines don’t determine your success, your commitment to keep showing up for yourself does. What you can’t see is the private doubt, the false starts, the slow becoming. Progress isn’t always visible. Sometimes it’s quieter thoughts. Less panic. A longer pause before a choice. Your job isn’t to match someone else's timeline. It’s to stay honest about your own.

Think passing out on the couch can be considered a great night’s sleep? Think again. Alcohol knocks you out, but it also fragments your sleep, meaning you wake up multiple times without realizing it. The result? You wake up feeling like you barely slept at all, because, well, you didn’t.