What happens when the way you live doesn’t match what you value most?
In episode 223 of The Alcohol ReThink, join host Patrick Fox as he goes deep into the topic of values, what they are, how they drive your decisions, and how alcohol often conflicts with them.
He explores why your brain is wired to choose the path of least resistance, and why drinking can feel easier in the moment, even when it goes against what truly matters to you.
Drawing on insights from Tony Robbins and James Clear, Patrick breaks down the link between your beliefs and your values, and why understanding both is key to creating lasting change.
You’ll learn how to spot the hidden values behind your drinking habits (like relief, control, or comfort), how to start realigning with what you actually care about, and how to make good choices more convenient than bad ones.
Some of the awesome takeaways from this episode:
- Every decision you make is influenced by your values and beliefs.
What you say you value and what you show you value can often be different.
When your actions don’t match your values, you feel conflicted or out of alignment.
The brain is wired to seek pleasure, avoid pain, and conserve energy, which is why alcohol feels like the easier option.
Habits are a byproduct of convenience, make good choices easier and bad choices harder (James Clear).
When you drink, it’s not alcohol you value, it’s the feeling or relief you believe it gives you (comfort, control, connection, escape).
Beliefs can distort your values, e.g. believing you need alcohol to relax or be confident.
Real change happens when you start valuing not drinking more than drinking.
Every time you act in line with your true values, you rewire your brain to make better choices more natural.
Practising curiosity over judgment helps you understand your behaviour instead of beating yourself up.
Ask yourself: What’s my brain valuing right now? What do I really need? How can I meet that need differently?
Living by your values makes it easier to feel good and harder to feel bad, that’s when alcohol truly loses its power.
Here are some powerful questions to help you reflect and reconnect with your true values:
What's most important to me in life?
How is alcohol conflicting with that?
What’s my brain valuing in the moment when I want to drink?
What do I believe alcohol gives me? is it true? how do I know it's true?
What belief is connected to the relief or escape I’m seeking?
How can I make my true values more convenient to act on?
What would it look like to value not drinking more than drinking?
Disrupt Your Life
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