Recovery can be a difficult time. You might find yourself going along smoothly, but then almost immediately, it feels like a wrench has been thrown into your life’s plans. You weren’t planning on these unexpected stressors and triggers. Sometimes this happens because we get comfortable and complacent. Things like this happen when you least expect it. Continue reading to learn more about how setting goals during your recovery can help you.
Goal Setting
Like we mentioned, people get comfortable. This is when things can start to go downhill because you find yourself going through the motions and slacking off. Some people fear the unknown. Unfortunately, these situations are unavoidable. It’s impossible to avoid every uncomfortable situation, especially in recovery. You have to learn to be comfortable with being uncomfortable. Whatever makes you feel this way, the first step to moving past it is identifying your stressors. The next step is to set goals for yourself. Starting slow is a good idea, building up to bigger and better goals. You want your goals to be SMART goals. We’ll explain below.
Specific Goals
The S in SMART goals stands for Specific. When thinking about what you want to achieve, you must be specific. You can do this by asking yourself the 5 W’s: Who? What? Where? When? Why? You can also ask yourself: How? Asking the 5 W’s is important, but it’s almost useless if you aren’t asking yourself how you are going to achieve a specific goal.
Measurable Goals
The M in SMART goals stands for Measurable. Measuring your goal can be done by quantifying your goal. Use numbers when you are measuring your goals. Will your goal take a week to complete? Maybe a month or a year? Measuring your goals with numbers helps ensure that you will be able to track your progress.
Attainable Goals
The A in SMART goals stands for Attainable. Can you reach your goal? Making sure you have the time, money, and talent to reach the goal you’ve set is how you make sure that your goal is attainable.
Relevant Goals
The R in SMART goals stands for Relevant. Are you setting this goal because you have to, or do you really want to set this goal? Is this short-term goal going to further your long-term goals? If not, then your goal may not be relevant. You should want to reach your goal on your own.
Timely Goals
The T in SMART goals stands for Timely. For a time, make sure you have a deadline. If your goal doesn’t have a deadline, it isn’t timely. You won’t know when you’ve reached or completed your goal if there’s no timeline. Having a goal that is timely helps keep yourself accountable.
Arbor Behavioral Healthcare can help you set SMART goals during your recovery. Call us today at 844-413-2690. We can’t wait to hear from you!