The process of goal setting tends to make it much easier for people to achieve what they’re setting out to achieve.

Having a daily plan of goals for addiction recovery can give you a much clearer idea of how you can succeed in achieving your long-term recovery.

Each person’s objectives may be slightly different in how they work towards their goals, but ultimately, the end result is to achieve recovery from addiction.

If you’re suffering from addiction to drugs, alcohol, gambling, etc. you will need to visit a professional rehabilitation centre in order to achieve your long-term recovery.

Your recovery workers will help you to determine your personal goals and create a strategy to achieve these when planning an addiction recovery plan.

So, what is the importance of goal setting in addiction recovery?

  • – People who are struggling to overcome their addiction are also likely to be struggling to find a purpose in life. By setting long term goals for recovery, you have something to focus on and to aim towards.
  • – Low self-esteem tends to be an effect of addiction. Achieving goals that you have set yourself can give you a great sense of achievement and confidence.
  • – Having goals to work towards increases your motivation, you’ll likely be more willing to work hard when you know it’s to achieve a set goal.
  • – Setting goals can relieve some boredom which people who are suffering from addiction are likely to experience.
  • – It’s important to remember that recovery is a gradual process, it’s not going to happen overnight. You will set yourself short term goals for recovery before you become sober, you can then set your sights on long term goals for recovery to continue your life free from addiction. All of the above highlights the importance goal setting plays in addiction recovery.

 

How to incorporate goals into your addiction recovery treatment plan

There are many benefits of goal setting in addiction. Firstly, you’re required to think more positively as you’re putting your attention into what you want to achieve.

Goals should be optimistic, for example, a positive goal to set yourself could be to ‘maintain your recovery for today’, rather than just ‘stop drinking’.

Setting goals for drug addicts help to focus on the future as you look ahead rather than dwell on the past.

Part of your addiction recovery plan could include seeing a therapist or counsellor who can help you to accept your past and look forward to a happier future.

By reminding yourself of your goals for recovery, you’re helping to shift your personal mindset in a positive way.

You’re putting your own well-being first which can help change your perception of yourself, you’ll begin to realise that you’re a much stronger, more capable person than you might have thought.

There is a useful technique for how to incorporate goals into your addiction recovery treatment plan, this is known as SMART goals.

By using this technique, you’re ensuring that your goals are meaningful to you. SMART goals are an acronym to make sure your goals are all specific, measurable, achievable, relevant and time bound.

  • – Specific: Your goals shouldn’t be generic; they need to clearly set out what is to be done and give a time frame for it be in achieved in. For example, rather than saying “Become a junior hair stylist”, your goal should be “Become a junior hair stylist by enrolling in a relevant course and acquiring work experience by July 2021”.
  • – Measurable: You need to be able to measure your goals. For example, “Go to the gym” can’t be considered an appropriate goal, but if you change it to “Go the gym three times a week for a month”, then you’ve got a measurable goal to work towards.
  • – Achievable: You must be able to realistically achieve your goals. If you’re visiting a counsellor once a week, then you’re making the decision to get yourself there on a regular basis which is achievable to you.
  • – Relevant: Set yourself a goal which is meaningful to you. This will encourage you to put the required effort in as it’s important to you and relevant to your addiction recovery treatment plan.
  • – Time Bound: Every goal should have a set time for completion. Even if you set yourself short term goals for recovery, you can renew it week after week. If you prefer to set long term goals for recovery, you can break this down by setting what you want to achieve at different time intervals such as six or twelve months down the line.

 

Planning an addiction recovery plan with goal setting

Even when we set ourselves goals, it’s not unusual to fail many times on your way towards achieving those goals.

If you’ve ensured your goals are SMART, you’ve hopefully set yourself some achievable goals, however there are also unknown factors so it’s possible you may need to rethink your goals for recovery.

It’s important to remember that whilst you might not succeed the first time around, you’ll gain useful knowledge from the experience which you can apply to next time.

Try not to refer to this as a failure, you haven’t given up trying, therefore you haven’t failed.

When setting your goals, it’s helpful to identify any obstacles that could prevent you from reaching your goals and prepare for these ahead of time.

Make lists or a schedule for implementing your goals so you’ve got time set aside to devote to your recovery goals.

Even if you schedule in for a small amount of effort at a time, this will quickly build up and produce great results over time whilst pursuing your goals.

It’s a good idea to include your friends and family in your goal setting. They can help to maintain your goals and check in with you that you’re on the right track.

You can put your goals in writing to ensure your loved ones have access to them, and so everyone is on the same page.

All of these steps and advice display the importance which goal setting plays in addiction recovery.

John Gillen - Director at Ocean Recovery

John Gillen - Author - Last updated: January 13, 2022

John is one UK’s leading professionals in the addiction recovery industry. Pioneering new treatment techniques such as NAD+ and ongoing research into new therapy techniques such as systematic laser therapy, John is committed to providing the very best treatment for people throughout the UK and Europe. During his extremely busy schedule, John likes to regularly update our blog section with the latest news and trends in the industry to keep visitors to our site as well informed as possible on everything related to addiction treatment.