It is the beginning of another year and people are making resolutions, reminiscing, and planning to make a commitment that the coming year will be a better year than this past. In some way, the stress to make and keep a resolution can make the difference between feeling as if you are a failure or you are on top of the world in every area of your life, especially your recovery.
The twelve step program teaches many excellent life skills and offers great support to those who “came to believe”. Simple messages like Keep it Simple, First Things First, and Think Think, Think, can help you make it through the day. So with all of the tools of the program and all of the support that is there for you, how is it that the good ole’ New Year’s resolution can derail your confidence as far as making progress reaching goals in your recovery?
There is a great deal of social pressure to conform to the concept that the New Year’s resolution is the granddaddy of them all and none other can hold a candle to its significance. In that sense the New Year’s resolution is set up to tell you when to make your commitment and how to do it. Well don’t believe the hype.
The problem with that is many, if not all addicts and alcoholics are non-conformist. How can you expect a person who lived the life of I do what I want when I want, to all of a sudden say they will do what one day on a calendar tells them they must do?
New Year’s resolutions are a tradition true; but so is a champagne toast to kick the whole thing off. You have already figured out that you cannot drink the champagne part of it. Now all you have to do is realize that the resolution part of it can really stress you out so bad it will make your sponsor stress out and you don’t want that. So what can you do?
Consider making your recovery birthday your resolution day. It is the start of a new year for you. Throughout the program men and women will tell you they have two birthdays, so why can’t you AA birthday be your resolution day.. Make a resolution stay clean and sober one day at a time for another year you. Now that’s a realistic resolution. If you consider the suggestion, it could mean the different between less stress and success to accomplish another milestone in you recovery.
The news and all of the media puts a great deal of emphasis on making and keeping a resolution. The media will try to make you feel like a failure if you do keep your resolution. Remember the commercial that will ask you if you cheated or did not keep you resolution? Who cares? The important thing is that you are still clean and sober. This year try to look at it from a recovery perspective. If you celebrate your clean and sober birthday as a milestone, make it your resolution day also. Keep it simple, take it one day at a time and have a blessed New Year.
Take Care..