It is important that you forgive yourself for your mistakes. A slip up is not the end of the world. Just pick yourself back up and carry on – do not let small lapses turn into lengthy detours from sobriety.
Probably just as important as forgiving yourself for mistakes is to reward yourself for achievements. Whether this is by small things like ordering your favorite dessert after every week sober, or big things like a nice trip after 6 months. What ever it is make sure you take the time out and really reflect on how far you have come and give thanks to yourself for getting you there.
Why are milestones important for maintaining sobriety?
- Milestones are signals of accomplishment. It shows that we have grown as people. Particularly important when we are trying to grow out of drinking and into our new sober lifestyle.
- Milestones provide structure and discipline to an otherwise lawless process.
- A reward at key milestones will help you keep on track by providing further incentives to hit your sobriety goals.
- Milestones allow other people to recognize the steps you’ve taken. Being able to tell your partner that you have gone 1 week/month/year without a drink is a fantastic feeling for both parties.
I celebrate milestones by taking trips. For big milestones I take a few days to a week. For smaller milestones I try to get out of the city for the weekend. This is great as it allows me and my SO to have a nice little vacation, plus the reward itself is paid for by my sobriety. The money I spend is the money I would have wasted on drink!
I also don’t stress the ‘big number’. The milestones I set myself aren’t about reaching some high score. No they are about how I feel at the time and what is a big achievement for me.
How are you going to celebrate your minor and major sobriety milestones?
IWNDWYT – I will not drink with you today!
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