After all the pain and torture one experiences at the hands of a serious drug addiction, the main focus for many addicts in recovery is to suddenly and miraculously kick the habit entirely and be “cured.” It’s natural to want a definitive end to the condition of addiction so that you don’t have to deal with the struggle anymore. Many recovering addicts expect a dramatic change to their natural disposition to occur upon being released from treatment into active sobriety.
This need to have it all just be “fixed” often leads to massive disappointments when triggers and relapses find their way in through the door. It can seem like a hopeless situation if you are still struggling with cravings after a detox and recovery program. However, it’s important to keep in mind that recovery is a marathon, not a sprint. It’s the long game we’re interested in. Nothing good happens overnight.
The 1% Rule
One of the reasons that fad diets don’t work for people trying to lose weight is that they expect you to change your daily habits in one giant leap. This usually works for a few days but we’re creatures of habit and will naturally gravitate back to our old ways because that’s just what we know. It’s nearly impossible to make massive about-face turn-arounds in one’s life without the natural urges and tendencies to relapse to our old, ingrained habits.
For this reason, it’s better to focus your mind on the small, incremental improvements day to day. Instead of trying to change suddenly, focus your efforts on being 1% better than you were yesterday. Just one percent. If you’re working on developing a new exercise technique or trying to quit thinking about how bad you want another hit, just do a little bit more today than you did yesterday.
There are many ways we can seek to improve ourselves while in addiction recovery. Whether it’s being more positive, thinking less negatively, being more comfortable in the moment, or wasting time on the internet. If you improve just 1% each day, in 6 months while the fad dieters are back to eating chips and cheese, you’ll be leagues ahead of them with your goals.
Improve a little bit every day. Just 1%.
As you work your way through recovery, lean on the guidance staff at Lead Treatment Center for sobriety coaching and addiction treatment. Call us at (800) 380-0012.
