If you’re feeling frustrated with your recovery progress, you’re not alone. Our culture conditions us to look for a “quick fix” to our problems, but building the foundation for lasting sobriety takes time. Let’s talk about how you can stay motivated to keep moving forward.
Celebrating Your Sobriety Milestones Helps You Stay Motivated to Continue Making Positive Changes in Your Life
When most of us think of sobriety milestones, we think of the chips they give out in Alcoholics Anonymous (AA). Chips are tokens given to members in recognition of their achievements in recovery. Typical coin milestone colors are as follows:
- Silver chip – 24 hours of sobriety
- Red chip – 30 days or 1 month of sobriety
- Gold chip – 60 days or 2 months of sobriety
- Green chip – 90 days or 3 months of sobriety
- Purple chip – 4 months of sobriety
- Pink chip – 5 months of sobriety
- Dark blue chip – 6 months of sobriety
- Copper chip – 7 months of sobriety
- Red chip – 8 months of sobriety
- Purple chip – 9 months of sobriety
- Gold chip – 10 months of sobriety
- Green chip – 11 months of sobriety
- Bronze chip – 1 year of sobriety
Beyond this, you may have milestones that are personally meaningful. For example:
- Your first sober date
- Your first sober birthday
- Your first sober vacation
- Your first sober Christmas with your family
Every sobriety milestone deserves to be celebrated. You may mark the occasion with a special meal, a fun outing, new supplies for a hobby that helps you manage your cravings, or a party with the people in your sober support network. Regardless of how you choose to celebrate, don’t forget to reflect on how far you’ve come since you made the decision to seek treatment for your substance use disorder.
Additional Tips to Increase Your Motivation in Recovery
Motivation is the internal drive and energy that builds momentum and encourages you to take action in order to make something happen. Motivation arises from inspiration, passion, or a desire for self-improvement and growth, but it’s understandable if you sometimes struggle to keep moving forward with your recovery. When life seems challenging, here are some tips to help increase your motivation to stay on the right path:
- Establish your goals. The best way to remain motivated and stay sober is by establishing goals that clarify what you want your sober life to look like. Having a concrete plan increases your chances of success, so it’s smart to write down your goals as a reminder of why you’re working hard to stay sober.
- Break big goals into smaller ones. When faced with an intimidating goal, it’s sometimes easier to break it down into manageable chunks that feel less overwhelming. For example, if one of your goals is to get a job, you might break this goal into smaller tasks such as writing your resume and practicing your interviewing skills.
- Create an accountability network. Surrounding yourself with positive people makes all the difference in a successful recovery journey. Ask close friends or family members to keep you accountable and check in regularly about your progress in sobriety.
- Resist the urge to compare yourself to others. Comparing yourself to other people can lead you down a dangerous path of negative thinking. Your sobriety journey is unique.
- Visualize your success. Being able to clearly picture what life will look like when you’ve achieved your goals can help you stay motivated when you encounter challenges. A vision board with photos and magazine clippings that are related to your goals can serve as a powerful motivational tool if you post it in a place where it can be seen on a regular basis.
- Use a habit tracker. Tracking how far along you are in your journey helps give you feedback on how well you are doing and serves as a reminder that each accomplishment moves you closer to the desired end result. Develop Good Habits has 37 free printable habit trackers for you to choose from.
- Discover the power of positive affirmations. Writing positive affirmations such as “I am strong enough to overcome this challenge” or “I am capable of achieving my goal” can give you an extra nudge toward pursuing your sobriety goals.
- Take breaks when needed. Be careful to avoid pushing yourself too hard. Taking breaks throughout the day is essential for your mental health. When you’re feeling unmotivated and discouraged, a break can help you clear your head so you can approach the task at hand with a fresh perspective.
- Strive for progress, not perfection. Making mistakes is part of being human, so be kind to yourself if you experience a slip or relapse. Talk to your treatment team about your concerns, then work together to develop a plan that can help you move forward in a positive fashion.
Are you ready to take the first steps in the journey toward a better version of yourself? Waypoint Recovery Center’s South Carolina drug and alcohol addiction treatment program provides personalized treatment plans to help you build the foundation for lasting sobriety in a supportive and encouraging environment. Contact us today to learn more about how we can help you break free from the burden of addiction.
