To succeed at anything requires the use of our God-given abilities, but as much as anything, it requires we find the will to break through. The fact is anything worth doing is hard. This is why goals like excelling at work, raising good kids, saving money to buy a car, or beating addiction takes patience and determination. We know that to reach goals like these, hurdles will have to be overcome. It is simply how life works.
Our hopes and dreams cannot be achieved by anyone other than ourselves. Our choices and effort will determine if these dreams become a reality. Yes, we all need support from various sources to get where we want to go, but we must separate what the role of our supports is versus what our responsibility is. If we are lazy, complacent, or satisfied with waiting until tomorrow, then the reality is, our hopes and dreams will be waiting as well. For change to occur, we must transform our state of being, which demands mental and physical strength. We are dynamic individuals, so our thoughts and feelings are in a constant state of motion. While waking up early to exercise may seem like a good idea the night before, our opinion often changes when the alarm goes off earlier the next morning. When buying groceries for dinner, chicken with vegetables seems like a prudent decision, but when we get home to see our roommate eating pizza, our store-bought menu is suddenly unappealing. Confirming with a friend that we will be at the 6:00 pm AA meeting is easy to do over morning coffee, but after a tough day at work, our minds tell us we don’t need the meeting and to blow it off. Breaking through is about these moments. Are you going to let your mind rationalize why not acting is "okay," or are you going to get into action and show up? Are you going to push through the mental strain, fatigue, and “I don’t want to’s” or be the person who flakes on their commitments? When the opportunity to take a drink or do drugs appears, what choice will you make? Breaking through to the other side demands commitment and perseverance, which usually involves doing what is right, not what our addictive voice tells us to do. The Art of Breaking Through: Ideas on how to persevere in life and recovery:
Always set your intentions at the start of the day. Reaching our goals does not happen by chance; it happens by choice. When you set measurable intentions, you put yourself in a position to succeed; we become dedicated to a defined list of tasks that now has our focus and energy. Plus, we can verify what was done, not done, and why at the end of our day.
Innovate and begin to look for solutions outside the box. Recovery demands we remove our biases. We must look for new opportunities and methods to get things done. Often, our old thoughts and beliefs will not support our life in recovery. Find new supports, get out of your way, and push yourself to learn something new. This type of innovation is what finds opportunity and is where joy and peace live.
Finding the will to push through when your desire to give up is strong creates transformational change. Doing what you know is right can be no fun, but this is what leads to new healthy habits. To beat fatigue after a long day at work doesn’t always require more sleep; it may require a simple shift in thinking. Until we stand up to our addictive voice, it will keep talking, and our outcomes will remain the same. When our voice suggests it's time to quit, we need to boldly tell it "no, it's not." This is how we break through and stop giving up on ourselves and our recovery.
Define what you want to do and who you want to be, and then go do it. Have the perseverance to push through and the courage to stand up to the voice telling you something can't or shouldn't be done. Breaking through those thoughts that have stopped you before is how you find the life you deserve, the life you love.
ABOUT CHOICE RECOVERY
Choice Recovery is an outpatient alcohol and drug treatment center offering IOP in Mesa, Arizona. Our IOP accepts Mercy Care insurance and other AHCCCS plans. We offer IOP in the morning and the evening as well as via telehealth. Weekend IOP is and option as well. In addition to the group therapy, individuals receive one-on-on counseling as well as the support of a life coach.
For more information about our evidence-based IOP programming please call us at 480-527-0337 or email us at admin@choiceiop.com.