It’s pretty human to use significant days as turning points in your life – and that is all well and good for some people.  For others, however, using these days for a supposed total change in lifestyle can be problematic.  I think this can be particularly true for people in recovery. Why? Because many of us have absurd expectations. Combine that with an all-or-nothing kind of personality, and you have a recipe for repeated failure. 

Of course there is anything wrong with creating a goal that you start to work on at a certain date, but frankly; I think the best day to pick is today and only today.  Today I will ___________________.

This helps to avoid the deal making and the  post-poning.  If you decide in early December that you are going to start a new diet on New Year’s Day, that means I’ll eat ridiculously badly until that day.  Why not say, I’m going to eat healthy today?  That doesn’t mean I’ll be perfect every day until New Year’s Day – but it sure means I likely won’t be as cavalier until the phony deadline.

The problem with creating resolutions based on a specific day, be it New Year’s or a birthday or anniversary, is that it takes you out of the immediacy of the day, and as people in recovery it is so important to count today first and remember everything else comes later.

This just means that if there’s something you want to do or change about your life, why not start today – maybe just a little step like adding five minutes to my walk or not skipping breakfast.

Rather than look to make a long (usually intimidating) list for New Year’s, what can you do today to move toward the goals you want to achieve?

Here are some tips regarding resolutions:

First and foremost, it’s important to remember that change happens in stages. You don’t just decide one day to stop and that’s that—especially when you’re addicted to substances. To effectively move your plan into action, you have to be mentally prepared to commit yourself to the stages of the process and figure out how you’re going to accomplish your plan step by step. It’s also important to understand that relapse is common. Don’t just give up after the first slip because you’ll never change with that kind of attitude. Instead, use relapse as a learning experience and start fresh again with your plan. But if relapsing becomes a problem and you can’t control yourself, there’s no shame in getting help. Recovering from addiction on your own is very rare, so going into a detoxification, rehabilitation, or therapy program is highly suggested—especially given the health risks of quitting a substance cold turkey.

Finally, it’s important to reward yourself and keep your eye on the prize. Attach some kind of reward for each week or month that you’re sober or substance free like going to the movies or out to a nice dinner. A reward system can help inspire you to stay relapse free and stick to your plan for recovery.

HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE

AND GOOD LUCK..

......

STAY SOBER AND RECOVERED.