As a person in long term recovery, setting goals is something I have grown accustomed to. I have learned to respect and value them, but only after I have learned a few things to make them work…
In 2016, I was 20, in early recovery, living in a halfway house in South Florida. After about 3 months in recovery, I had what I can only recall as a “Wave of Inspiration to change.”
Not only was I fresh in recovery and had a profound sense of achievement, but there were so many aspects of my life I wanted to change, and I felt now was my time. So, after watching a documentary on farming and agriculture, I was extremely motivated to take on a vegetarian lifestyle.
So, I set a day awoke from my slumber and declared to the world, “I am a vegetarian!” and proceeded to stop eating meat. Within a few days, I found myself eating nothing but junk food or nuts and some salads here and there. Within a few weeks, I noticed a severe decrease in my energy and stamina, and I was extremely fatigued all the time. And eventually I gave in and went back to eating meat.
The issue arose from the fact that I had absolutely zero idea of what I should replace my protein with, and I did absolutely zero research into how to have a healthy vegetarian lifestyle.
Never mind the fact that my idea of cooking at that point in my life was Ramen Noodles and Cereal, but still, I have no idea how to cook vegetarian meals, let alone cook in general. If you are like me, you have two settings, 0% or 100% and when setting goals, it is important for me often to break down my goals into smaller goals to make them more obtainable and more prudent.
Example:
Main Goal: I want to become a vegetarian (Great!)
Now – Break it down:
- Research healthy alternatives to eating without meat.
- Learn to cook various meals and find ones I like
- Over the course of 30 days, decrease meat intake daily until down to zero starting on day 31
End Goal: I will become a vegetarian.
Having a great goal isn’t the issue; it’s execution and delivery that often get in the way. Leaving us with a feeling of defeat and frustration instead of what we were originally striving for, achievement and accomplishment.
With January approaching and resolutions being made, I hope my own lived experience with goal setting can give you some food for thought if you are thinking about change within your own life.
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Matthew Hellsten, CRPS, serves as the Community Outreach Coordinator at Foundations to Healing, where he works to build meaningful partnerships and expand access to recovery-focused resources. With a passion for connection and community engagement, Matthew is committed to empowering individuals and strengthening pathways to healing.
