Setting and Achieving Realistic Goals
Chances are, you are your worst critic. Sometimes that is a learned behavior resulting from overbearing parents, being tormented by middle school bullies, or simply being a slightly more neurotic person than others. Of course, it is necessary to be self-critical at times. It is important for your growth and development to periodically go through self-examination to see where you can improve.
That does not mean that you should ridicule or torture yourself for not improving in the manner or the rate you see fit. You must remember that you are human, and human nature offers a considerable margin for mistakes. The best way to healthily improve yourself is by setting realistic goals. If your goals are unachievable, you are just setting yourself up for failure.
It is essential to set realistic goals when leaving treatment too. Biting off more than you can chew could lead to relapse. Take advantage of the relapse prevention programs implemented at your treatment facility to avoid that. With counselors, you can learn more about yourself, understand your strengths and limitations, and will be able to set realistic goals to achieve after treatment.
The Importance of Realistic Goals and Dangers of Unrealistic Expectations
If you are new to recovery, you may still be trying to learn your triggers, improve your environments, and perfect addiction coping skills. Setting realistic goals will require you to accept your limitations and not see them as faults. You will need to evaluate the tools and resources at your disposal and realize that if a goal is not achievable, it could simply be due to the lack of specific resources. The sooner you accept the limitations you face, the sooner you will be able to set those realistic goals and begin the self-improving journey of recovery.
The dangers of setting unrealistic expectations for yourself when leaving treatment are important to understand. The risks of not accepting your limitations will lead to potentially unrealistic expectations. Acknowledging that you are fallible (much like everyone else) can be challenging but humbling. By not setting realistic goals, you put your recovery at risk.
The pressure to achieve might lead to substance use. Similarly, the inability to reach the unrealistic expectation you have set for yourself could cause a relapse. Do not put yourself in that spot. Set realistic and achievable goals first, and you will undoubtedly begin to grow.
How to Set Realist Goals for Yourself
Setting life goals should be a somewhat methodical process. It should be specific, have a time frame, and a final tangible result for you to see. Goal setting takes a good amount of research as well. For example, if you hope to continue your education after leaving treatment, you must research the most affordable, credible, and accessible program for you. The relevancy of your goal should also be taken into consideration, as continuing education for you may be the first step in achieving your dream job. Setting goals for yourself should be a big picture decision, not an impromptu whim.
To set realistic goals, you may first try writing them down. Thinking about them is great, but putting them on paper becomes tangible, which forces you to focus on them. Even achievable goals can be overwhelming post-treatment. Consider breaking down your goals into more manageable steps to avoid being overwhelmed. This strategy will help you see each task individually, do what you need to do, and move on to the next. Before you know it, your entire goal will be achieved while maintaining recovery.
Conceiving Goals During Relapse Prevention
While at the Lakehouse Recovery Center, you will be able to take advantage of our relapse prevention program. Relapse is common during recovery and can serve as a time to learn and grow. Once you determine what leads to relapse, you can work toward preventing it. There are several relapse prevention plans to explore, including creating strong support networks, seeking treatment for underlying mental illnesses, or making amends with loved ones.
Additionally, our relapse prevention program is an exceptional opportunity to set goals post-treatment. During your time with us, counselors and therapists will learn more about you and guide you in creating the goals you seek to achieve. That guidance might include self-examination techniques to acknowledge your strengths and limitations. This can help you to formulate the plans into tangible steps to take after treatment, or even help you gather important information for achieving your goals.
The possibilities of our program are endless. Consider reaching out to the Lakehouse today to set realistic goals and prevent experiencing the harmful effects or potential relapses due to unrealistic expectations.
It is common for the pressure you put on yourself to crush you when you feel inadequate or have failed regarding the expectations you have set for yourself. Those expectations are, more often than not, quite unrealistic. These feelings of failure and incompetency you express to yourself can harm your mental health, especially those newly out of treatment. A pivotal aspect of returning to everyday life after treatment is setting goals for yourself. To prevent relapse, those goals have to be realistic. There are many ways to achieve these goals, like taking advantage of relapse prevention programs. At the Lakehouse Recovery Center, each client has the chance to work with trained professionals on relapse prevention, where you will be taught coping techniques and offered guidance when setting realistic goals for yourself post-treatment. To learn more about relapse prevention and to set realistic goals for your recovery, call (877) 762-3707 today.