Your lifestyle preferences can be both fulfilling and frustrating. A careful look at your own patterns will help you determine which habits you would like to change and help you evaluate your current level of motivation. Knowing where you would like to be, can bring understanding to which behaviors and attitudes are holding you back and need to change.
Common Reasons to Make a Change
Finding the roots of your motivation can help to build or maintain momentum. This is especially important when plateaus occur, and challenges emerge. Being certain of the reasons to make changes will help you keep growing and improve your strategy. Examine the list below and select several main reasons for doing the hard work of recovery.
- Better health
- Reduce cravings for alcohol and drugs
- Save money
- Have more energy
- Reduce mental health symptoms
- Improve relationships
- Be able to regularly complete typical living activities
- Reduce risk of other medical problems
- Be more active
- Enjoy playing sports
- Spend time with my children/ grandchildren
- Be a positive example for my children
- Reduce the risk of legal problems
- Believe in myself
- Have fun again
- Not turn into my mother, father, aunt, other family member
- Like myself better
- Raise my own children
Changing Old Patterns
Looking at your current lifestyle requires an honest self-examination. From time to time it is helpful, even essential, to take a fiercely accurate inventory of your life. Making helpful changes in habits and daily routines begins with knowing what you do that is helpful to your overall plan for physical and emotional health and what is hindering your growth. Changing old patterns is the goal. With that in mind, having a goal to get a full-time job may be too narrowly focused. Instead, focus on developing the attitudes and behaviors that make you employable.
Making Changes That Matter
Our lives are largely governed by habits, patterns, and structure. To make effective changes in life, you must replace the negative patterns with positive ones. Do a few simple things to help a little bit. Do not overwhelm yourself by trying to make monumental changes. As you work consistently, you will see amazing results over time.
Recovery is a Journey. Enjoy the Ride!
