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Making Realistic Addiction Recovery Goals in 2022

addiction recovery goals

As 2022 gets underway, it’s the perfect time to think about addiction recovery goals. Maybe you made some New Year’s Resolutions for this year relating to your sobriety, or you are ready to take time today to set some intentions for the months to come. If you’re in recovery from drug or alcohol addiction, having goals in mind can help you stay on track. Whether these goals involve attending meetings, journaling, therapy, or participating in an addiction aftercare program, making them realistic is an essential part of the process.

Northpoint Omaha offers an addiction aftercare program in Omaha, Nebraska that can help you stay on track with your recovery goals. Contact our team at 402.685.9404 today or reach out online to learn more about what we have to offer.

What Makes an Addiction Recovery Goal Realistic?

How can you tell if your addiction recovery goals are doable? One of the most effective ways to set goals for yourself involves making them S.M.A.R.T.

This means that the goals are:

  • Specific
  • Measurable
  • Achievable
  • Relevant
  • Time-bound

First, your goals need to be specific. Instead of saying, for example, that you’ll participate in more meetings, make that goal a specific number per week. Maybe you’ll aim to attend two meetings per week in addition to therapy sessions.

In addiction recovery, setting measurable goals is relatively easy. You might aim for a number of days in recovery or a number of therapy sessions and meetings attended without missing any.

Making your goals achievable is closely connected to making them realistic. It might not be achievable to try to get a new job, buy a new house, and attend five meetings a week all in a year. Set goals in increments—maybe you can put your resume together by the end of the next two weeks, then apply for at least four jobs in the two weeks after that. Trying to do it all at once can lead to failure.

Relevancy means that your goals are in line with your long-term objectives. If you want to find a better-paying job in your field, for example, you might take a course or take on new responsibilities that will bolster your resume.

Finally, making your goals time-bound will help you stay on task. Without deadlines, it’s easy to let life pass you by without taking action.

If your addiction recovery goals aren’t S.M.A.R.T., they won’t be effective in changing addiction-related behavior or addiction-recovery patterns of thought.

Why Goals Are Important in Addiction Recovery

Addiction is a disease. It changes the way you think and act. To fully heal from addiction and create new habits and thought patterns, a long-term commitment is necessary.

The first step to addiction recovery is self-assessment. This means having a clear understanding of your addiction and its effects on you, from addiction-related health problems to addiction-induced financial burdens. When you have this self-awareness, it’s much easier to make addiction recovery goals both big and small.

Big addiction-recovery goals are things like seeing a decrease in addictive behavior or being able to abstain from addiction for a certain number of days. Small addiction recovery goals are things like writing in a journal or attending addiction recovery support groups.

Your therapist or addiction counselor can help you set these goals. Participating in an addiction aftercare program is an especially helpful way to maintain your progress.

Reach Out to Northpoint Omaha for Addiction Aftercare

If you’re looking into an addiction aftercare program in Omaha, contact Northpoint Recovery. We offer ongoing support so that our patients make lasting changes in their lives and reach their long-term goals. Connect with our team at 402.685.9404 or reach out online to learn more.