Addiction recovery is a challenging, lifelong process. Sometimes it can feel like an uphill battle, or you aren’t making any progress.
That’s why it’s essential to measure your recovery in milestones and celebrate all the little achievements along the way. Setting goals, even small ones, can keep you moving forward and provide a way to mark your progress. They can also prevent you from getting stuck or stagnant.
Goal setting can be tricky at first, especially if you’re not used to it. This article will explore the benefits of setting goals for yourself during recovery and discuss how you can set yourself up for success.
Why Should You Set Goals?
You may feel discouraged when you first start your recovery journey. You may know where you want to go but need to figure out how to get there. Goals act like mileposts, showing you that you’re getting closer.
There are many benefits to setting goals, including the following:
Focus on the Present
It’s easy to fall into the trap of dwelling on past mistakes and regret. However, living in the present moment is necessary for recovery. Setting goals can keep you grounded in the present and stop you from living too much in your memory.
Keep Up Your Momentum
Recovery can feel like an ambiguous process. If you set specific goals, they can provide tangible accomplishments. A plan keeps you looking to the future and helps you build and maintain your momentum.
Practice Patience
Goals can help you improve many soft skills, including patience. Addiction can often deteriorate patience by offering instant gratification.
When you set long-term goals and build towards them, you flex that patience muscle over and over.
Improve Confidence and Self-Esteem
Substance use disorder can decrease your belief in your ability to accomplish goals. It can also lower your self-esteem. Setting and achieving small or significant goals can slowly build your
confidence again.
When you prove to yourself that you can achieve the goals you set your mind to, you improve your mindset and your overall self-esteem.
SMART Goals: How to Set a Goal
The most popular method of goal setting is called SMART goals. SMART stands for:
- Specific – Your goal should be as well-defined as possible. If you want to eat healthier, for example, identify what that looks like. Try to answer all the “W” questions in your goal.
- Measurable – You must have a way to measure the success of your goal. For instance, instead of saying you want to cook more meals at home, say you want to cook four dinners a week at home. Otherwise, you won’t have a concrete way to determine whether you succeeded.
- Attainable – Set a goal that’s possible for you to achieve. Ensure that you have the resources and support you need to accomplish it.
- Realistic – Setting unrealistic goals is a surefire way not to achieve them. You’ll need to be honest about what you can accomplish to build up to more significant objectives over time.
- Time-bound – Always establish a time frame within which you’ll work towards your goal. This timeline helps keep you on track and is another marker of whether you succeeded. So you might say, “I will cook dinner at home four nights a week for a month.” After the timeframe ends, you can evaluate what you want your next goal to be.
If you’re not used to setting goals, using SMART as a framework can be a great way to get started. As you practice, creating goals will come more naturally to you.
How to Achieve Your Goals
Setting goals is one thing; achieving them is another. Pursuing and accomplishing your goals takes time, energy, and patience.
You will learn much about yourself as you work towards your goals, even if you don’t make them the first time. The most important thing you can do is forgive yourself if everything doesn’t go according to plan. Recovery is an ever-evolving process, and so is goal setting.
Here are our top tips for staying on track and achieving your goals:
Start Small
Don’t bite off more than you can chew. When you first start goal setting, it can be tempting to shoot for the moon. However, making your first goal too ambitious can set you up for failure.
You should always start small with your goals, no matter what kind. It can be helpful to set a realistic goal and then dial it back even by one notch. Then, when you succeed, you have a strong foundation for future, higher-reaching goals.
Hold Yourself Accountable
To achieve your goals consistently, you must find a way to hold yourself accountable. It’s always a great idea to team up with a friend or family member. Maybe there’s a goal you want to work on together. If not, ask them to check in with you regularly to get updates on your progress.
If you don’t have an accountability buddy, there are other ways to keep yourself on track. You can download an app to send reminders or post notes around the house. Don’t be afraid to get creative!
Get (and Stay) Motivated
Once you’ve set your goals, staying motivated is one of the most challenging parts. A few ways to spark your motivation and keep it going include:
- Engage in positive self-talk – It’s easy to get down on yourself or say you can’t do it. Try swapping negative thoughts for positive ones.
- Break down your goals – If you’re struggling with motivation, try breaking your goals into smaller pieces.
- Recruit a friend – Having a buddy isn’t just for accountability. Friends or support groups can keep your motivation from sagging, too.
- Use visualization – Picture the results of a successful goal in your mind’s eye. What will your life be like when you achieve this goal?
5 Goals to Set During Recovery
Ready to get started but need to figure out what goals to set? Here are some positive goals that have been helpful for other people in recovery.
1. Start a Healthy Habit
Looking after your physical health is of the utmost importance during recovery. Eating a nutritious diet, getting regular exercise, and tending to your sleep routine are all essential ingredients of a healthy lifestyle.
Setting a goal related to one of these areas can be a great place to start.
2. Invest in Self-care
Self-care can mean many things, but its primary intention is to give yourself time to recharge. Decide what that is for you and commit to making time and space for it.
You might schedule quiet time to pursue a hobby, practice meditation, or even just take a bath once a week.
3. Attend Treatment Regularly
Your treatment sessions, including appointments with therapists or support group meetings, must be a priority throughout your recovery. Setting goals around attending treatment can be a great way to start with goals since you’re likely already used to going.
4. Nurture Relationships
Substance use disorder can lead to fractures in healthy relationships or the start of unhealthy ones. Recovery is an excellent time to take stock of all your relationships and set goals around them.
For example, you might set a goal around making amends with someone you wronged in the past. Alternatively, you could start distancing yourself from toxic acquaintances.
5. Consider Your Future
Many people lose employment due to addiction or find that their career suffers. If you’re ready to get back into the workforce, you can start setting career-oriented goals to get there.
For instance, you could work on job-related skills or education. Alternatively, apply to a certain number of jobs per week.
Pursue Your Recovery Goals Today
There’s no time like the present. If you’re already in recovery, you can start setting goals and working towards them right now. If you need help on your recovery journey, reach out to Alvarado Parkway Institute at (619) 333-7050, we are here for you!
