Addiction’s slow development over time impacts every facet of your life, transforming the way you think, the decisions you make, and the way you see the world around you. It can make it hard to see the point of getting up every day and fighting hard.

The emotional, physical, and legal complications seem to build endlessly. It’s hard to fathom life being good again. That’s where purpose comes into play. Having a purpose in your life can help you recover and build a future you want to live in, seeing the good around you. At Victory Addiction Recovery Center in Lafayette, Louisiana, you will learn the strategies and tools not only to stop using substances but to find purpose in your life. Even better, you define what that purpose is, and it could be just about anything.

Why Having a Purpose Matters

The importance of purpose in addiction recovery cannot be understated. Positive reframing helps you compact negative thought patterns and actions. It enables you to know what to expect each day and how to handle challenges as they come.

You can focus on something other than substance use disorders in your life. Purpose helps give you a reason to try harder, build better days, and find value in yourself and the world around you. Research indicates that when you find meaning in recovery, you’re more likely to stick to the recovery path and make healthier choices.

Ways to Find Purpose In Recovery

Having a purpose sounds like a good move, but how do you find something to motivate and support you? Many people struggle through recovery initially because of statements like, “Why me?” and “What’s the point?” With a few steps, though, you can change your thinking to create a more positive outlook and, in the process, find your purpose.

Work through these steps to find purpose in your day and life. When you do, you’ll have a different perspective, and chances are, you’ll find specific reasons to keep moving forward.

Determine Your Values

Before anything else, define what’s most important to you in your life. Make a short list. You may wish to include:

• Creativity
• Family
• Spirituality

Once you determine your values, you prioritize them. That means you always prioritize your values when making decisions throughout your day and life.

Create Meaningful Goals

Your next step is to create meaningful goals, those that are beneficial to you and the world around you. The goals should be:

• Meaningful: This ultimately indicates they are valuable to you, personally.
• Attainable: First, focus on short-term goals that you can achieve with the tools and resources you have now.
• Actionable: Goals should be specific enough to spur you to take action and should be measurable as well.

There are no limits on what your long-term goals can be. Over time, you’ll build on your initial short-term goals to create a path forward. Some ideas may include repairing relationships, getting back to school, or building a new skill.

Seek Out Activities You’re Passionate About

For those using substances on a constant basis, it is common to feel pressure and intensity in seeking out those drugs or alcoholic drinks. That’s all your brain can focus on. In recovery from addiction, you can spend more of your time doing things you’re passionate about.

Find the types of activities you love, and then do those more often. Here are some ideas:

• Spend time building with your hands, whether it is woodworking or repairing vehicles.
• Write a story or read history.
• Work with animals because they are meaningful to you.
• Spend time with music or learning a new form of expression in your art.
• Build relationships with people that are important to you, such as your family or friends.

Find a Way to Give Back

Another very important component of your journey to recovery is giving back. A strategy that enables you to volunteer or support others can be very rewarding for you. Most importantly, it will support you in your recovery effort.

At Victory Addiction Recovery Center, you can volunteer within our community. We also encourage you to join our alumni groups, where you can get constant support while helping others. Volunteering is one of the best ways to prevent relapse because it allows you to provide meaningful support to others.