You’ve done the T-chart, and you’ve weighed the pros and cons of continuing to drink as you are now, or not. You know that alcohol takes a toll on your physical and emotional health, your finances, your relationships, and your self-worth. If you’ve decided that it’s time to change your relationship with alcohol, read on.

There’s a popular phrase in the alcohol-free community: “Never Question the Decision,” or “NQTD.” In fact, this is such a guiding principle for many that they’ve chosen to have this mantra tattooed on their bodies.

NQTD speaks to the idea of making a decision and committing to it, and can be a powerful tool in our journey to change our relationship with alcohol.

If you’re anything like me, you’ve been stuck in this limbo of wondering if the way you drink at present is harming you, deciding it’s fine, then swinging back with the next hangover. We can spend months or years feeling like the way alcohol is showing up in our lives is no longer serving us before we begin to make a change. This is a normal experience, my friend. (Turns out, it’s incredibly difficult to drink an addictive substance “responsibly. Go figure.)

But when we know that reducing our alcohol intake is the best choice for our wellbeing, and we commit to that change without question, it paves a path forward. It takes the mental gymnastics off the table, it frees up our brain power for more important things, and it helps us feel assured in our choice.

We know that the neuroscience of habitual alcohol use is much more complex than just willpower alone, so many of us experience a thousand hangovers before something changes and alcohol begins to show up for us differently. But there’s a substantial mental shift that happens when you commit to making a substantial change, even if it takes some time for our brain chemistry to catch up to our resolve.

We also know that when we begin to question our decision to reduce our drinking, we’re putting ourselves at risk for using alcohol to excess again. When our resolve is shaky, when we start to have a rosy view of drinking again, we’re likely to give it another try. This is why “never question the decision” is so powerful; when we remove the constant weighing of the pros and cons, we’re steady in our decision.

Today, write NQTD down on a few sticky notes to post around your home and work. Commit to this change you’ve chosen for yourself, and let’s get to work.