One of the things that happen when you start working a recovery program is exploring the motivation that you begin to feel. When the fog of early sobriety starts wearing off, you will find yourself wanting to achieve more and more. In fact, you may even put down some goals on paper to achieve. Once you attempt to hit your goals, you get frustrated because they are more difficult than you thought.
In your mind, you tell yourself to just give up because this was not a good idea after all. What you really need to do is keep trying to achieve those goals and not give up. There are a few ways that you may be sabotaging your goals without even realizing them.
You Are Setting Unrealistic Expectations
While you may think that your goal is pragmatic, if you are struggling to hit your goal, you may need to reevaluate what you are going for. Look to see if you are setting yourself to hit the mark or to fail. You have to be able to walk in order to run, and with that mentality, you can look to see if there is something that you need to do first that will make your goal easier to achieve. The point of setting a goal is to become successful.
You Are Listening to the Negativity
Battling addiction also makes you battle some negative thoughts. Recovery gives way to the negativity that you may hear in your head although being human makes it impossible to get rid of all the voices in your head completely. So, when you are trying to achieve a goal with no avail, you might start being hard on yourself. Take some contrary action instead. Make sure you are giving yourself accolades and rewarding yourself when you hit milestones. Encouragement is a great tool to use to keep the motivation going – even if you are only trying to motivate yourself.
You Are Taking Inaccurate Suggestions
The people you surround yourself with definitely have the most influence on you. Take a look at your close-knit circle and see which people are giving you suggestions about your goal. Even in your recovery program, there are people you want to emulate, and people you learn what not to do from. The same may go when you are trying to achieve your goals. Some people will give you amazing suggestions and encouragement, while others, even loved ones, could put some pessimism in what you are trying to attain. Know the difference and get a second opinion if necessary. Never let someone else minimize your goals especially when they are completely within reason.
You Are Aspiring for Unattainable Dreams
Although you may have your heart set on achieving a certain goal, you really need to break it down to see if you are doing something that will actually work. There are several things that you should look at to see if your goal is worth attempting. Do you have the resources? Is the goal feasible? Did you set a goal that is measurable? What milestones are you reaching for in order to get there? Who do you have supporting your progress? You definitely should reach for the stars in all you do. You should just make sure you have an action plan to make the goal easier to reach.
You Are Setting Goals That Are Irrelevant
Age and stage of life are huge aspects of how you will achieve your goal. If your goal is to get to the gym every day after work but you are always tired on the way home, that is probably not going to be easy to pursue. Trying to change your diet without the proper measures in place can cause your failure to launch. Make sure that your goals are relevant to where you are in your life by being honest with yourself.
You Are Working the Wrong Program
When everything else fails, you should try implementing the tools you learned in your recovery program to meet your goals. Decide that you are powerless over your goal to give up control to your higher power. Start asking for guidance on how you should approach your goal. Pray and meditate over your goals. Get together with people who are trying to achieve the same goal and encourage one another. There are so many variables in your recovery program that will work for many other things besides trying to stop using and drinking – including hitting your goal.
Now that your sober lifestyle is working for you, making other improvements in your life will also be worthwhile. Setting goals and achieving them will help you feel better about yourself overall and keep you moving in the direction of self-devotion.
Offering a full range of recovery and mental health services, Detox Center of Colorado offers “Expanded Recovery” to enrich our clients’ lives in mind, body, and spirit. Through evidence-based therapy options and the endless adventure of Colorado, Detox Center of Colorado fosters connection, encouraging clients to get connected to themselves, their peers, their families, and their higher power. With the power of recovery, clients are restored to full health and experience life-changing healing. Call us today for more information: 303-536-5463
