No matter what sobriety goal or resolution you set for yourself, it’s important that you be specific on exactly what it is that you want to achieve, or stop doing. The more detailed and precise your goal is, the stronger it becomes and the more likely you are to achieve it.
Conversely, the less specific a goal is, the less likely you are to accomplish it as the lack of details weakens it in your mind. Here are some prime examples of weak goals and strong goals:
Weak goal: I want to stop getting drunk on the weekends
Strong goal: I will stop doing shots of any kind. The reason for this goal is because when I do shots I end up getting drunk and feeling lousy in the morning. Plus, etc, etc
Weak goal: I’m going to cut back on my drinking.
Strong goal: I will not drink during the week. By not drinking during the week I can etc, etc
Weak goal: I will drink less so I have can save money.
Strong goal: I will save $100 a month by not drinking more than ______. I will be happy to stop wasting money on booze so I can instead etc, etc
Weak goal: I will try to stay sober so I can spend more time with the kids.
Strong goal: Saturday night will be family night, and I will not drink during that day or that night. I love my kids so much, and they are much more important to me than alcohol. I will etc, etc
Weak goal: I’m going to drink less so I can lose weight.
Strong goal: I will lose 10 pounds by not drinking on the weekends, and exercising each day. I am determined to get back to my healthy weight because etc, etc
As you can see, the more specific a goal is, the more energy it seems to have. A weak goal is normally just a throwaway line that has no depth, and no power to it. A strong goal will have at least a couple of sentences to perhaps a couple of paragraphs behind it.
Good Sobriety Goals
Write down at least a paragraph or two (preferably more) about WHAT your goal IS, HOW you are going to accomplish it, and WHY it is so IMPORTANT to you. The more detail you go into, the more you empower yourself. Write down every reason you can think of, no matter how minor. If you want to stop drinking around the kids, then write down WHY that is important to you, and WHAT specifically you are going to do to accomplish it. (article continues below)