How to Make Those Recovery Resolutions Stick in 2019
When a new year begins, people start to think about making commitments and resolutions. Recovery is always a time of processing and evaluating where you are and where you are going. This is the time to improve on that even more by looking over those recovery resolutions to see what you need to do to get on track with your goals. Find some ways to make those resolutions stick this year.
Why Resolutions Matter
New Year’s resolutions get a terrible reputation, mostly for not being helpful for those in recovery. The challenge is really about taking a risk on setting goals that are unattainable, then when they fail to be met in the way the person would like, it can feel like failure and a setback to recovery. The key is to not feel disappointed in yourself and feel like promises were broken. Self-doubt, criticism, and shame can be issues that you might be at risk of dealing with and can set you up for failure. Watch out for these common pitfalls:
- Using this new year to reinvent yourself rather than self motivate. Rather than trying to rehaul your entire personality and life, it helps to have a sincere desire to change motivated by yourself to get to those small, but attainable, goals
- All or nothing thinking can be dangerous. Rather than viewing a misstep as a setback, you may see it as a huge failure, which only hurts recovery. Don’t tie self-esteem to success of a goal. There is room for adjustments if things go off course. It is easier and less painful to call it quits than face the challenges of regrouping.
Make Em Stick
The key to making resolutions stick in the new year is to follow some simple guidelines. The following are just some of the ways to get started:
- Don’t overreach your goals
- Focus on making one resolution that is specific and break it down into smaller goals related to recovery
- Focus daily on smaller steps that will help you take one step at a time
- Include an accountability partner, someone who knows and understands your commitment and is willing to encourage you through the steps
- Focus on recovery groups, activities, and spaces that support overall recovery
- Find goals that help you focus on relationships and building support systems with friends and loved ones
The holidays and the new year can be challenging for people who struggle with personal relationships or challenges in the family. It can be hard to be in recovery so don’t start the new year hard on yourself. Focus on self-improvement build on small steps, one at a time, that lead up to the bigger goal of achieving that larger dream goal you have in mind.
For more than 25 years, Palmetto Addiction Recovery Center has been devoted to helping those who are struggling, to find serenity and recover. With a focus on holistic treatment for the physical, emotional, and spiritual, our program effectively rebuilds and heals what has been broken by addiction. For information on our addiction treatment program in Louisiana, call us today: 866-848-3001
