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As we all know, recovery is not easy. It doesn’t matter what plan you go through or what your addictions are. There are a lot of people who fall out of recovery and go back to their addictions. Do you want to be that person? Do you want to be that person who’s controlled by their addiction? Or do you want to take control of your own life? If you want to take control of your life, then you must learn the three C’s in achieving permanent recovery. These C’s are Consistency, Commitment and Change. If you work these into any program, you will be effective in your recovery.
The first C is the most important one. It’s all about Consistency. Consistency means that you’re active in your recovery. Remember that recovery is a 24/7 process. There are no breaks or vacations when it comes to freeing yourself of your addictions. You have to pick a time each day to work on your recovery plan. Go over your 12 Steps with your sponsor. Make sure to contact your sponsor daily. Once you organize a plan of action, you will be able to stick to it.
This brings us to our next C. This C is Commitment. Like with Consistency, Commitment means that you’re willing to be active in your recovery. Are you willing to make a Commitment to your recovery? Here’s one way to find out. Create a list of things and people that you value. This could be anywhere from your friends, significant other, pet, or career. Make a lists of all those that come to your mind. Now look over your list. What would happen if you didn’t make a Commitment to your recovery? You’d probably lose out on all those things you value. Make sure you really visualize the outcome. Would you want to lose out on that? If you say no, then you’re able to make a Commitment to your recovery! Be sure to keep this list close by so you can look at it every day. It will help motivate you in your recovery.
The last C to achieving permanent recovery is Change. You have to be willing and accepting of Change. Here are some things you can do to help motivate you. You can refer back to the list you previously created. How would those things or people change along with you? Maybe you would get a job promotion or get married to your girlfriend. Would you welcome this change? More than likely you would. This will help motivate you in changing your life. You can also write a list of personal goals you want to make, including recovery. Make them short and measurable. This way, they’re easy to achieve. Reflect back to that list each week to see if you have achieved any of your goals. Motivation is the key to attaining a full recovery.
Recovery doesn’t have to be hard. And remember, you’re not alone. You can contact a friend, relative, sponsor, or anyone you feel comfortable talking to. Just remember the three C’s to achieving permanent recovery. Print out this article if you need to. With these tools provided, you will become the person you always wanted to be. The person you lost before addiction.