When we first get clean and sober, we are usually too devastated to start working towards a creative life right away. It’s all we can do in the beginning just to stay clean for another day.
But as time progresses and we accumulate some solid sobriety, staying clean on a daily basis does become a bit easier. If we are using the 3 strategies of creative recovery or working a 12 step program then we are going to be experiencing real progress in our recovery and things will get easier.
Yes, it is much harder to stay clean at 2 weeks sober than it is at 2 years sober. Do people still relapse after 2 years of sobriety? Of course they do. But they are much fewer than the countless number of people who relapse in the less-than-30-days-clean category.
So what I’m saying here is that it gets easier as you go along (unless you are not really working a program) and as it becomes a bit more automatic to stay clean and sober then your new task is to shift towards personal growth. If you do not do this then you risk falling into complacency and relapsing.
How do we shift towards personal growth? My strategy was to create a vision for myself and then work towards that vision. This produced real, goal-oriented action on my part. For example, I held a vision of living a smoke-free life in which I was much healthier and exercised on a regular basis. I translated this vision into a few goals and then I took them on one at a time until I made them into reality.
Here are 3 suggestions for how to jump-start your creative vision:
1) If you do not have a creative vision for your future then start paying attention to the idea more often. Allow yourself to dream a little outside the boundaries of your typical recovery plan.
2) If you know what you want but you don’t know how to get there, ask for help. Find a teacher, a mentor, or a creative coach.
3) Get clear on what you want out of life. Refine your vision. If it is vague then parse it down to actionable steps you can start working towards today.
I must admit that for the first few years of my recovery I did not really have a creative vision for myself. All I had was a vague desire to be clean and sober and to somehow enjoy my life. I explored a lot of personal development books and read a great many books on spiritual growth too.
Somewhere along the line my focus shifted towards action-based recovery and goal setting. I quit smoking, started exercising daily, and found some new ways to reach out and help others in recovery. My recovery shifted from being “social solution dependent” to being “focused on personal growth.”
Find your vision and work towards it. Action is the key. This shift in focus can unlock your potential in recovery.
Recommended Reading
- Overcoming Addiction
- Addiction Recovery is about Discovering New Layers of Information
- 5 Ways to Supercharge Your Recovery, Avoid Relapse, and Dominate Your Addiction Over the Holiday Season
- 10 Ways to Embrace Creative Recovery and Take Your Sobriety to the Next Level
- Holistic Addiction Treatment Center
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