How to Set Realistic Goals During Recovery

How to Set Realistic Goals During Recovery

Addiction recovery is a journey that is filled with ups and downs as well as major milestones and accomplishments along the way.

Realistic goal setting is a huge component to the success of your recovery and it’s important to understand that becoming and staying sober doesn’t just happen overnight. Your recovery journey is a work in progress and Banyan Philadelphia shares with you how to set realistic goals to increase your chances of long-term recovery from drugs and alcohol. Setting goals is important, however sticking to them and achieving them is what makes for precious milestones during your journey.

• Find what makes you happy and complete. These feelings will be achieved after you reach your goals and it’s important to visualize the long-term end goal, which is sobriety and happiness.
• Don’t set yourself up for failure. Take it one step at a time to ensure that small progress is made along the way. Small and attainable goals are what’s going to get you through the process.
• Create specific and measurable goals that will allow you to grow each step of the way.
• Commit to your written goals. Keep them with you at all times whether that be a sticky note on your mirror or in your journal to keep you inspired and motivated.

Work with your therapist or counselor during drug or alcohol addiction treatment to decide which goals you will set at the beginning of the process. Writing down these goals is important because you will become more motivated with set in stone goals over verbal thoughts. Goals give people purpose and meaning behind accomplishing something and this is so crucial during addiction treatment. According to Psychology Today, John Norcross states that a goal is “a mental representation of a desired outcome that a person is committed to”. Achieving your short-term and realistic goals accounts for those milestones and only brings you closer to the end goal.