Ep 133: Why Waiting Until You’re Ready Rarely Works | Rethinking Alcohol |

What if the real reason you feel stuck around drinking isn't a lack of willpower or information, but simply that your thinking can't yet see another way? Anna Donaghey is joined by Doug Fleener, author of "Start with What If" and creator of the "What If Rule", a simple, three-step practice for creating new perspectives in real time.

Drawing on his own journey from addiction to leadership roles at Bose Corporation, Doug shares how change really happens: through interruption, curiosity, and asking different questions. Together, he and Anna explore why curiosity trumps willpower, and how tiny shifts - like asking, "What if I just didn't drink today?" can unlock entirely new possibilities.

Here are the Highlights:

00:00 Welcome to The Big Drink Rethink

00:45 What if what keeps you stuck isn’t willpower?

01:01 Meet Doug Fleener

02:14 The “What If Rule”: change in real time, not ‘someday’

03:23 Doug’s 30,000ft wake-up call

06:09 The power of interruptions and rock bottoms

07:11 Why it feels easier to change your state than change your life

15:15 The real impact of asking “What if I didn’t drink just today?”

16:21 Why avoiding forever/never thinking makes change possible