I've found this extremely helpful in staying clean for an extended period of time. I always suggest making lists. Initially you should start making a list that covers each individual day. Making certain days where you have the time to complete big goals. Little goals are included in the daily list to essentially be little wins. Eventually progressing to monthly lists where big important things get done. You may be one of those people who get things done in weekly increments or one of those who panics at the end of the month & gets it all done. Either way accomplishing the things on your list give you a feeling of completion while a daily model helps subtly prep you for dealing with addiction daily.
So it's sort of like a journal, where you chronicle your progress and whatever obstacles that you might encounter. I think that's a good idea, like you have a bucket list of sorts. The very organized person would do this for sure, but for those less inclined to write, I guess their memory is good enough to store the events.
I don't know why I havent made a list like that. I have my list of daily reminders for why I quit. But having those goals written down like that would be a lot of help too.
I think that's a good idea. It keeps you organized and goal-oriented. Also, you could keep track of your improvement throughout your recovery. Thus, it makes you feel fulfilled and more inspired to do even better.
I think lists are great. I like to write because it helps me to process my thinking and de-clutter my mind. One of the many self-help gurus I listen to (John Assaraf, I think it was. It was awhile ago, so I could be mistaken) said that when he was going through a certain time in his life, he tried to figure out why certain people get things done, and others are not nearly as productive as the first group. He said that the 'trick' was that the people who accomplished the most, wrote down their goals for the day, a set of maybe 5 to 10 goals that they had to do that day, no matter what. Those people stayed on task and got things done. Makes sense. I think making lists gives one clarity, and a sense of direction for the day. Another self help guru said that it's better to make a goal list for the day and only get half of it done, than to write down nothing and get all of it done.
I like that quote. I may borrow it every on e in a while, if that's okay. It's definitely right on. Now that y'all brought this up I'm wondering why I didn't do this sooner.
Yes, very good advice! I took on this challenge while I got clean to see what I can do with the money that otherwise I would spend on my addiction.
I think this is very good advice in general for anyone who has trouble getting things done in a timely matter. Unfortunately, this applies to me. For some reason, I always seem to wait till the last minute to do something. I think it's, because I prefer to eat my dessert first, so to speak. I'll probably end up trying to stay on track of things for the next few days, but they'll probably slowly fall apart again. In which case, I'll come back to the forum to read this to keep me on track. Nice post, OP.
That is an impressive number and a great idea. In fact, if we pay close attention we can save hundreds of dollars just by being healthier, we have it all to win and we can invest that money in living better.
I agree. I think lists help a lot in visualizing your goal and seeing it everyday just makes the vision a little more concrete compared to just keeping it as a mental note. Having a list is like having a business plan for your new business, it might not seem necessary to some but the business owner knows it is essential to the success of the company.
I think that this list could not be only in the financial area, but also in the area of activities and life quality, what we have been doing instead of drugging ourselves.
Yes, making a list is a wonderful idea to start with. Whatever, be your problem area, be it substance addiction, drinking, smoking or virtually anything that troubles you, just jot down your plan of action. Making a list gives you the ability to break down a complex and comprehensive recovery, into a small and manageable steps. Scheduling is the next logical step that comes rather intuitively. It also allows you to check your progress and brings about a sense of accomplishment and makes your recovery process very smooth.
Sure, borrow away It's not "mine" anyway. I think it was actually a lady who has been writing about housekeeping for many years is where the quote came from. Self-help, housekeeping, definitely a couple of my favorite subjects. I find that it actually does help to write down my goals at the beginning of the day, and then try to get things done that are on the list, instead of just kind of "wiling (whiling) the day away," which happens with me sometimes. It's also great to be able to see what I have done that day. I don't work outside my home, and some people are super successful at pissing me off, and/or putting me on a full scale guilt trip by saying, "So what do you do all day?"
I do that too, wait until the last minute to get things done, and it aggravates me to the core. It is hard to deal with the fact that I- myself get on my own nerves, because wherever I go, there I am. I especially hate when something comes up that I know I should have taken care of months ago (like filing my taxes, or finding a certain document), and then I have to rush to get it done, or have to stay up all night long looking for a paper that I need the very next day (or else) even though I've had months to look for it. Ugh. Procrastination is terrible. As I've written before (here on this forum, I think) I need to stop procrastinating, but I keep putting it off.
That is a terrific idea. Funnily enough, a friend of mine broached the same subject a couple of months ago but I didn't pay that much attention back then. He told me he would write down the amount of spare change he had left after the end of the day and then put the money in a jar. He had $1 on day 1, $3 on day 2, and around $15 by the end of the week. I know it doesn't seem much but the funds do pile up over time. If you do this for a solid year or so, you might accumulate a healthy amount of cash which could always come in handy at a time of need.
Making a visual list for goal setting is essential. I can have a lot of them in my head, but it helps to have them written down somewhere as a reference point. Lots of goals, lot of inspiration. They need to be looked at daily as a reminder if what you are striving to obtain in the long run.
Agreed. Having lots of goals and thoughts often lead to confusion so having something written out like this is great not only to serve as a reminder but also to keep track of certain milestones that help you stay focused and also helps you be reminded of your progress.
I am a total list maker. It is something that is taught to us back in school to help us be organized and have goals or reasons behind the need to complete our school work. However, throughout the years some of us loose these skills. I make lists for everything and even lists within lists for tasks that require extra steps. It helps me keep my mind clear and my goals are set daily. So, at the end of the day I know I have accomplished something rather than feeling haphhazard. Lists that are checked off really do give you a sense of accomplishment and completion, like you have been useful and have a purpose.
Making lists for me is a huge part of staying busy and also feeling productive. That feeling of checking things off when they are completed really does make you feel good. I'm still a paper list writer, rather than putting lists electronically into my phone for that very reason of being able to check things off! I also really like that idea from @FuZyOn about the weekly money saving challenge. What a great way to save the money that would have originally been spent on addictive substances. Having those tangible things to show us what we are achieving without the use of drugs is a HUGE thing!
I am a super big fan of making lists and journaling. When we journal we record the thoughts, feelings, and emotions tied to a certain time. By going back through your writing you can pick certain things out that may help you recognize events or situations that for example trigger cravings. We can pick out patterns based on how were feeling at a certain time or in a certain place that make us happy or sad. I believe that this is a powerful tool that we can use to make sense of our everyday situations especially while we are traveling down the rocky road of recovery. If you have never tried to journal or list write before...give it a try, you may be surprised at the results. ***OFF TOPIC COMMENT*** JoanMcWench that has got to be the best avatar ever!!!!! Kitty shark...LOVE IT!