Have you thought about goal setting in recovery much? Maybe the idea of recovery goals makes you leery if you’ve tried goal setting every January and failed. However, recovery goals are not quite the same thing as new year’s resolutions. When done right, they can give you vision and accountability as you take positive steps toward long-term sobriety.
Why Set Recovery Goals?
Should you set goals for recovery? The short answer is “yes.” Mental Health America describes goal setting as a process that helps you identify what’s important to you and develop a vision for what your life could become in recovery. The goals you set are objectives you want to accomplish in your recovery as you reclaim your life.
According to research by the Psychiatric Rehabilitation Journal, having established goals in place gives you hope and increases your motivation to achieve what you’re wanting. Goals in recovery also give you both structure and a renewed sense of purpose. This is a welcome change after the erratic, unpredictable, and impulsive nature of addiction.
Goals also help your family, friends, and peer support network know how they can best help you in recovery, as well as keep you accountable. And when you accomplish a goal, it gives you more self-confidence in your abilities to follow through and overcome challenges in the future.
The Challenges of Goal Setting in Recovery
While setting goals is a worthy endeavor, the process can also lead to some challenges in recovery. You may feel like you’re setting yourself up for heartache, fearing that you won’t meet these goals and will disappoint others in the process. Goals may also cause you to put undue pressure on yourself, leading to stress and anxiety. All of these emotions can become addiction triggers that drive you back into old addictive patterns (or a new transfer addiction) if you’re not careful. That’s why it’s important to set goals properly — often with the help of your therapist or recovery peer mentor — to ensure you’re approaching them in a healthy way.
Setting Goals for Recovery: Tips to Remember
If you’re wanting to create some goals for your recovery journey, here are a few key tips to keep in mind as you get started:
Have a Long-Term Vision
As mentioned earlier, you want to have a long-term vision for what your life could look like down the road. When you picture yourself decades sober, confident, and pursuing the life you want, what comes to mind? As you reflect upon the long-term, you’ll be able to set recovery goals that take you there.
Be Realistic
Big, lofty goals are fun to come up with, but they’re often unrealistic in the short-term. You may think you can blaze through goals quickly, but in reality, you could be setting yourself up for disappointment. Stay grounded and realistic with your goals, and seek help from your therapists, mentor, or trusted loved ones to ensure your goals are attainable.
Start Small
New habits take time to establish. That’s why, along with realistic goals, they should do enough to “move the needle” in the right direction in this season. You don’t need to create an audacious goal that you need to knock out right away. Rather than saying you’ll exercise five times a week for an hour each time for example, perhaps start with three times a week for 15 minutes instead.
Make SMART Goals
Ever heard of SMART goals? It’s an acronym to follow to create goals you can actually complete. Let these attributes be your guide as you’re coming up with recovery goals:
- Specific
- Measurable
- Agreeable
- Realistic
- Time-bound
Re-Evaluate and Adjust
Recovery isn’t one-size-fits-all, nor is it linear. Seasons and circumstances change. What seemed like a good goal a year ago may need to be altered to fit where you are today. That’s why it’s a good idea to re-evaluate your goals from time to time to ensure they’re still leading you on the right path.
Examples of Recovery Goals
What are some healthy recovery goals to have in place? It’s best to have goals in a variety of areas, putting you in position to improve your overall well-being. Here are a few examples of goals for recovery to consider adding to your own list:
- Meditate or journal before bed every night
- Exercise 30 minutes a day, three days a week
- Maintain proper nutrition with a healthy, balanced diet
- Attend at least one support group meeting each week
- Reach out to a friend or loved one twice a week
- PIck up a new hobby
- Make time to volunteer twice a month at a nonprofit
- Maintain steady employment
- Reduce your exposure to addiction triggers
- Reconnect with your family
Achieve Your Recovery Goals at Sana at Stowe
If lasting sobriety is your long-term recovery goal, we can help at Sana at Stowe. As a comprehensive, holistic addiction treatment facility in Vermont, we address the root causes of your addiction and co-occurring disorders. With our help, you’re empowered to maintain an addiction-free life long after your treatment ends. To get started, call us today.
