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Self-Discipline

Jamie Thompson
| July 13, 2017

Lately, I have lacked self-discipline and it is starting to affect my general well-being. I recall that in early sobriety that I was determined to do the work to stay clean and recover. The misery was real and fresh in my mind. There was no way I was going to give up and go back to my old ways.

Two years into my recovery I now find myself stuck. I know that I should get up at 6:00 or 6:30 a.m. to start my day. I should plan out my meals and snacks to keep me from overeating and binging on sugar. I should go hiking in beautiful Colorado where I now call home. I should write my clinical notes for work daily. I should write this blog before my deadline. I am “should-ing” my life away.

I need to be more compassionate with myself. If I take a step back and look at the bigger picture, I am not wrecking my life or my sobriety.

Not yet. There is a whole list of things that I do to stay healthy. I go to meetings, show up at work on time, and act as a great doggie daddy. It is easy for me to get caught up in all the things I am not doing. Soon, that could become all I can focus on. I am noticing that my general mood is declining. For me, this is a warning sign that I need to step up and take action.

So now what? I need to make a list of obtainable goals to accomplish and define why those goals are important to me.

  1. Wake up at 6:30 a.m. so I will not feel like I have wasted half my day by sleeping in.
  2. Meditate each morning because I need to re-establish a practice to ground myself.
  3. Write a gratitude list so I can focus on what is good in my life.
  4. Go hiking in the mountains or walk through my neighborhood for an hour to increase my energy and overall mood.

Those are four easy goals that I can accomplish at least five days a week. From past experience, I know that once I establish the routine and begin to feel better, my eating habits will naturally become healthier. I won’t need to binge on sweets to help me escape from uncomfortable feelings.

Why is it that we resist the very things that will make us feel so much better? I can sit here in my “shoulds” and self-pity, and look at the happiness and relief that action will bring me. Or, I can commit to these four easy goals that will bring positive change in my life. The longer I choose to take no action, the worse I will feel. I need to keep reminding myself of the misery I felt in active addiction. I am bringing new energy back to my dedication of living a life worth living. Because I’m worth it.

 

 

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