Make Your Recovery Goals Specific and Achieve Them
Setting goals and achieving them is crucial to your addiction recovery. If you attended a rehab, they will have most likely taught you how to set recovery goals and then how to accomplish them. What is important is that when setting your goals, you be specific on exactly what it is you want to achieve.
Examples of Weak and Strong Goals
Below are some examples of recovery goals. We will begin with a weak goal and try to change it into a more specific recovery goal. Doing this, will truly help you recover from your drug or alcohol addiction.
Example One
12 step meetings are very important for recovering addicts. They are great places to get or give advice and meet new friends.
Weak Recovery Goal: I want to go to 12 step meetings.
Specific Recovery Goal: I want to go to 12 step meetings. I will do this by going every evening, Monday-Friday.
Example Two
You may have an addiction to some other substance, cigarettes, soda, sugar etc. You may feel a strong sense of satisfaction when you try to give up another dependency or addiction.
Weak Recovery Goal: Now that I am sober, I am going to quit smoking cigarettes.
Specific Recovery Goal: Now that I am sober, I am going to quit smoking cigarettes on Tuesday or I am only going to smoke 8 cigarettes a day, then I will gradually cut down and quit.
Example Three
Drugs and alcohol take away a lot of money; you will notice that once you are clean, you will have more money to do something that you have always wanted to do; like take a vacation.
Weak Recovery Goal: Now that I do not need drugs or alcohol, I will start saving money.
Specific Recovery Goal: Now that I do not need drugs or alcohol, I will start saving $100 a month by putting it into a savings account that I cannot get to easily.
Example Four
Spending time with your family is a great way to rebuild relationships or strengthen the ones that do not need rebuilding.
Weak Recovery Goal: When I was addicted to drugs or alcohol, I did not spend a lot of time with my family; now that I am sober I want to spend more time with them.
Specific Recovery Goal: Every Saturday will be family day; I will spend a few hours with my family. We will play games, go to the park, do some arts and crafts, etc.
Example Five
Exercise is very important for addiction recovery. It can help you to maintain a positive mood and boost your self esteem.
Weak Recovery Goal: I’m going to exercise more.
Specific Recovery Goal: I will take a 30 minute walk on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. I will do yoga and cardio on Tuesday and Thursday for one hour.
More Advice
Writing the Goal
So here is some useful advice on how to begin your specific recovery goal. Try to write down at least a paragraph about what your goal is, how you are going to do it, and why it is important to you. The more details that you write down, the more you it will empower you to achieve it. Be sure to include every reason you can think of, even if it seems very small.
Able to Accomplish It
When you are writing down your recovery goals, be sure that it is not too easy, but not too hard; find an in between. Make it something that you want and at the same time you know that with some will power and determination you can accomplish it.
Not Too Many at Once
It is also important that you don’t have too many at one time. Although there may be 20 things that you want to change in your life, you need to realize that if you focus on each and everyone at the same time, your determination will be overwhelmed. Instead, pick the most important recovery goals and focus on them until they are accomplished.
Tips for Setting Your Recovery Goals
Write It Down
Don’t just think of it in your head, instead write it down and read it on a constant basis.
Be Specific and Detailed
Be as specific and detailed as possible but do not get lost in the small, unimportant ones.
Visualise It
Visualise accomplishing your specific recovery goal; try to feel the joy an excitement that you will feel when you really do accomplish it.
Challenge Yourself
Challenge yourself, but don’t set yourself up for failure; find a recovery goal that is right in between.
Think Positive
Most importantly think positive, really believe that you can accomplish these recovery goals, and believe in yourself.
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