When patients leave our Mississippi drug rehab, their recovery journey is far from over. Getting sober can be a complete lifestyle change and getting to where you want to be can take time. In order to see these changes come to fruition, it is important to set addiction recovery goals, but setting goals and actually achieving them is an entirely different story.
Successful Goal Setting Tips for Addiction Recovery
Especially around the New Year, many people set goals and make resolutions, but sadly, most of these goals go forgotten after just a month of two. Instead of letting your sobriety goals fall to the wayside, these tips on how to set goals for recovery could help you actually see them come true.
Be Realistic
While it is okay to strive for new heights, do not let your optimism lead you to lofty and unachievable recovery goals. Especially if you just went through a drug detox and got sober, it is important to be realistic about what you can and cannot do in a given amount of time. Instead of landing your dream job when you are currently unemployed, start by setting a goal in recovery to get a job in your desired field that could be a steppingstone to keep pursuing this dream. Setting realistic goals for addiction recovery can also help you feel accomplished when you do achieve them and be more motivated to continue in that direction instead of feeling defeated.
Make Them Measurable & Specific
It is easy to set recovery goals like being happier and healthier, but these vague goals are difficult to quantify. When you cannot measure your progress, it is hard to know how to pursue them or even just to stay motivated. Instead, add measures to your goals so you can track your progress like fewer than 10 days with symptoms of depression in a month or exercising 4 times a week for at least 20 minutes. When you know exactly what to shoot for, it is easier to work toward these recovery goals.
Break Them Down
Setting long-term goals for sobriety is a good thing, but it can also leave you feeling overwhelmed. Rather than getting caught up in the big picture and becoming too paralyzed to act, break down these overarching goals into smaller and simpler steps with their own deadlines. When these goals are broken down, they become more manageable and it is easier to make sure you are on track to achieve them.
Quality Over Quantity
Setting smart goals for sobriety is also about prioritizing. Although it is okay to have a lot you want to work toward, an endless list of sobriety goals will likely leave you not knowing where to begin or spreading yourself thin trying to do too much. Create three or four fully developed and thought-out goals to pursue.
Be Patient
Learning how to set goals for recovery that will work for you takes time. There are bound to be unexpected bumps in the road and setbacks. If you miss a deadline, don’t give up and scrap the goal; change your deadline and keep pushing yourself forward. At Vertava Health Mississippi, we want to see our patients find long-term success in recovery. Not only do our addiction treatment programs near Memphis help people overcome their addictions but also they help people prepare for the future and build a foundation for a better life in recovery. If you or a loved one is in need of care. We are here. Reach out to us today to get help.
