RR 236: Life Hacks for Sober Living with Kenyon ZitzkaRR 236: Life Hacks for Sober Living with Kenyon Zitzka
The SHAIR Recovery Podcast
Life coach Kenyon Zitzka shares how he moved from quiet dissatisfaction and unhealthy habits into a structured, sober life built on Stoic ideas, fitness and clear routines. The conversation highlights simple questions, zero-excuse thinking and practical hacks to support recovery and personal growth.
1:04:13•20 Aug 2019
Life Hacks, Zero Excuses and Sober Structure with Kenyon Zitzka
Episode Overview
- Simple personal rules like "don’t be a dick" and "leave everyone better" can anchor a meaningful sober life.
- A consistent morning routine with meditation, reading and exercise helps create structure and calm in recovery.
- Treating phone and social media use consciously, rather than as mindless escape, can reduce addictive patterns.
- Challenging limiting beliefs (such as "I’m shy" or "you can’t have it all") opens up new choices and actions.
- Asking whether your current behaviour is the standard you truly accept is a powerful way to hold yourself accountable.
“That is, don't be a dick. Leave everybody in every situation better than you found it and fulfill your own potential.”
Curious about how others keep sobriety front and centre while juggling real life, work, and family? This conversation with life coach and Zero Xcuses host Kenyon Zitzka gives a very practical look at what that can actually look like day to day. Kenyon shares how he ticked all the boxes society told him to chase – Navy career, trade school, a master’s in engineering, steady work – yet still felt flat and unfulfilled.
His turning point came when a mix of health scares, a broken leg, and a heartbreaking miscarriage pushed him to ask a hard question in the mirror: *“Is this the standard I’m willing to accept?”* From there, he started rebuilding his life around fitness, sober habits and deliberate routines. You’ll hear about his 4.30 a.m. mornings, meditation, Stoic philosophy (he swears by *The Daily Stoic*), and why he treats social media posting as journalling instead of mindless scrolling.
He’s open about past addictions to tobacco, smoking and then his iPhone – particularly games and Facebook – and how that time-suck fed low energy, weight gain and disconnection from his family. For anyone in recovery, Kenyon’s honesty around excuses will hit home.
He challenges the old stories like “I’m just quiet and shy” or “you can’t have it all”, and replaces them with small, practical shifts – such as asking better questions, setting a clear vision, and using simple time blocks (50 minutes work, 10 minutes movement) to create momentum. His personal code sums it up: *“Don’t be a dick.
Leave everybody in every situation better than you found it and fulfill your own potential.”* If you’re looking for down-to-earth ideas to build structure, accountability and purpose into sober living, this one might get you reaching for a notebook. Which excuse are you ready to stop believing?
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