Addiction and Recovery Goals For The New Year

Instead of making a resolution for the New Year, why not try setting some goals? Instead of denying yourself something or trying to just “stay sober” in the new year, think about some of the things you learned when you were in your luxury rehab center and set these as your personal goals.

Why set goals instead of resolutions as one of your steps to recovery? Most people give up on their resolution by the 10th of January. You do not want to give up on sobriety and your addiction-free life, so setting goals is a healthier alternative to managing your life.

What Goals Should You Set?

There are several different goals that you may want to set for this year. Find the right goals for yourself that will help make you feel happier and more secure in your sobriety. Select goals that range in difficulty so that you can give yourself a challenge.

Suggestions For New Year Goals

• Write a “Thank You” note at least once a week to someone who would never expect it. Helping others feel appreciated is a great way to help others and make yourself feel good as well. Appreciation is a very positive emotion from every angle.

• Make sure that you attend all of your meetings on time. Not only is that very respectful of the other people involved in the meetings, but it is also very good for confidence building to show that you can arrive at any event on time.

• Learn a new hobby. Why not try that craft or hobby that you have always been curious about. Learning something new helps you focus your thoughts on good things and staying sober, allows you to have the next experiences, and is a lot of fun. You may even meet people with similar interests or find more similar hobbies to enjoy.

• Work with your substance abuse counselor to discover things that trigger your addiction habits. When you look at these triggers in-depth, you can see how they happen, when they happen, and why they happen. Learning about your triggers in such a comprehensive way can help you avoid situations long before the trigger can start.

Stuck For Ideas On Recovery Goals?

If you have recently become sober, it may be very challenging for you at this time to pick recovery goals for the New Year. The best thing that you can do is to work with your substance abuse counselor and see what types of goals they suggest so that you can stay secure in your sobriety and avoid a relapse.

Are Goals or Resolutions Necessary?

In reality, no. You can start off the New Year just like you would start off any month, week, or day. The most important thing for you to remember each day is that you are now living a substance-free lifestyle and that you want to do whatever it takes to stay that way.

If setting goals helps you remain happy and sober, then set goals. If concentrating on your recovery is the most important thing, that that is where your focus should lay. You know what is best for you to stay sober, and that is the choices you are encouraged to make.

People like to talk about goals and resolutions at this time of year. But the truth is, most resolutions made for the New Year are not successful. That is why you are encouraged to set goals or to avoid this type of behavior at the start of the year altogether. Making a resolution that you cannot keep can actually be more of a problem than a benefit.

If you are making resolutions and then you fail, you feel guilty, ashamed, or even angry. These are all emotions that are often associated with triggers in sobriety. You do not need to place yourself in a position where you make yourself feel so upset that you feel triggered.

The main objective is staying sober. You worked very hard when you were in the substance abuse recovery center, and you are benefiting from that hard work each day. There are so many ways that you can stay in recovery with ease. It is best to focus on those things and not on resolutions you may or may not keep. In the end, sobriety is what matters most.