I have seen similar messages from various sources and it always rings true:
“Motivation is something that comes and goes, but being dedicated to a better, healthier version of yourself, that is something you can control. Dedication over motivation all day long. It is nice to have motivation, but when the motivation fades over time, which it does, you still have to be dedicated to being a healthier version of yourself.”
This just happens to be a quote from a local news report about a man who made incremental changes to lose a significant amount of weight and improve his health, but it can be applied to anything, sobriety/recovery included. Motivation and willpower alone were never enough for me to not drink and to not take better care of myself overall. Dedication is one word, it could be called discipline, determination, etc. Not picking up a drink is step one, but what I do instead counts for so much from a long-term wellness perspective. I keep saying I am going to do x, y, z, and I start and stop new healthy habits. What I’ve been missing, I think, is more focus on finding the infrastructure, routine and dedication to be healthier, striking a balance and making those incremental changes so I don’t burn out on things, too.
The article also talked about changing things up and keeping activities interesting and fresh. I really like that thought! A resolution of sorts that I have this year is to do something creative every day, no matter how small, and I kind of started in December and am seeing benefits, for sure.
As a self-proclaimed recovering perfectionist, I find myself diving in to all the changes I want to make too quickly and getting overwhelmed, or on the other hand feeling like I can’t do what I’m striving to do “perfectly” so I just procrastinate. Incremental change is going to be a key for me to make some healthy lifestyle changes that help me with my physical as well as mental health. I plan to look into SMART tools around goals (SMART stands for goal-setting that is Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic and Timely, but in the recovery world the acronym is Self-Management and Recovery Training and I was trained in using them both in the business management application and personal recovery programs in a previous life).
It’s great that I have some solid activities and resources that I engage in and can rely on daily, but I do tend to slide in other areas like diet and exercise that will be really important to improve for my challenges with my health - I’ve felt stagnant and even slipping in areas and I know it’s crucial to my recovery to work on my discipline and routine, not just rely on motivation. Especially when wintertime gets to be such a bear! Now’s the time to get on it instead of looking back at another winter of hibernation and low mood. Here I go! Whole-heartedly and with an eye on whole health, day by day with a glance to the future, as well. Glad to be here with all my amigos and welcome to new and returning folks. Thanks for reading. - Rosa