The greatest mystery that plagues alcoholics and drunks everywhere is how not to drink alcohol. It is a baffling problem due to the nature of addiction, and the fact that booze does such a good job of medicating the alcoholics internal problems. It is said that the alcohol consumption is not really the disease itself but more just a symptom of a deeper problem, and any alcoholic who has spent real time in recovery can see the truth in that.
The key to passing your first sobriety test, therefore, is not to simply abstain from alcoholic beverages and other addictive drugs–though of course this is a necessary baseline. The key really is to get down to the root of who you are and what pushed you to self medicate, and then to find a way of life that can rise above those problems so that you do not have to self medicate in recovery. In traditional recovery that relies heavily on 12 step programs, this is done through the bringing about of a spiritual experience, so that the alcoholic can find a higher power and come to rely on a spiritual lifestyle in order to maintain sobriety. However, there are other paths to recovery that do not rely exclusively on the God concept.
For example, one recovery movement that teaches how not to drink alcohol focuses on physical exercise as a method of recovery. The idea is to get fit, get in great shape, and keep pushing yourself to achieve new levels of fitness. Some would argue that this is trading one addiction for another, and they may have a point. But the same can easily be argued about traditional recovery, where many people become addicted to 12 step meetings or they become dependent on the spiritual quest itself. There is no perfect method of recovery that does not involve some level of sacrifice.
Therefore, one of the best techniques that you can employ in early recovery is to keep trying until you find a solution that works for you. It does not good to simply relapse and give up, as it takes most alcoholics at least 3 tries at recovery before they can make it stick. Explore new methods of recovery and you will achieve a new life at some point in your journey.