How To Complete Your Goals
One of the most difficult things for the average person to do in life is set goals and do whatever they need to achieve them. We all hear stories about how some exceptional person set their sights on a goal and actually followed through on it. But how do you people get from point A to point B?
The simple answer is, it’s not a single step. It’s going from point A to point N and having to complete all the letters in between. Fortunately, there’s some strategies you can use to help get you there. To best understand the different approaches, we’re going to categorize them into four types of categories.
4 Categories Of Goals
The first type of goal setting is performance based. These are short term objectives that if completed, will yield one aspect of what’s needed to complete your goal. Think of it as achieving point B on our way to point N. Next, there’s outcome and process oriented goals. Outcome oriented goals focus solely on achieving the larger task at hand, placing little focus on the details for achieving said task. Conversely, process oriented goals focus on the steps to complete your task. When combined, you’ll have small achievable goals that are all geared toward your desired outcome.
Moreover, a lot of us like to use time oriented goals. Notably, people should consider having a larger time frame in mind and then break down smaller tasks into smaller time frames. For example, if you’re a general contractor trying to repaint an entire house, you might tell the owners it will take you a month to complete. From there, the contractor should break down the time it will take to complete each room into specific days so the full project can be completed on time.
Lastly, there’s the common approach to frame goals in terms of quantitative and qualitative. A quantitative goal is a measurable number that can provide data about the overarching goal. On the other hand, a qualitative goal is very difficult to measure but this example may help explain the difference. A good example of the category is this blog. We want our readers to feel informed about how to complete goals and read 100% of the blog. The feeling of being informed is a qualitative goal and reading 100% of the blog is our quantitative goal.
Setting Goals In Recovery
Now that we’re oriented with some of the processes involved in goal setting, let’s apply it to real world scenarios in addiction recovery. First, let’s consider someone who’s new to recovery and their goal is to maintain long term sobriety. Their outcome oriented goal is long term sobriety but they’ll need to adopt several tasks to achieve that. Since the overarching goal is very lofty and difficult to achieve, one should consider breaking things down into smaller time frames with achievable goals every week. This might include attending 5 recovery meetings per week, working out 3 times per week and feeling happier after one month of staying sober. It also might include finding a sponsor in the first week, attending an outpatient program, and so on.
If you’re struggling to attend 5 meetings per week, you could adopt the following process oriented goal. This might be finding a sponsor or developing friendships with people in the program to help hold you accountable. In any case, if you’re struggling to achieve a larger goal, consider breaking it down into smaller tasks that you consider doable.
At Commonwealth Collaborative, we know how difficult it can be to achieve long term sobriety. Fortunately, our team has experience helping people set and achieve their goals. Contact us to learn more about our program and how we can help you achieve your goals!