What Are SMART Goals in Recovery?

Imagine going on a road trip without a map. You might know your target destination, but the journey without directions can quickly become overwhelming and aimless. Now imagine having a detailed guide, complete with directions, landmarks, and a timeline. This is the essence of SMART goals in recovery.

Whether we’re navigating the path to sobriety or striving for a healthier lifestyle, SMART goals offer a structured roadmap to attainable success. To embark on the transformative experience of recovery with the tools to turn aspirations into reality, let’s take a closer look at what SMART goals are, how they can revolutionize your recovery journey, and how we can implement them effectively. 

An Overview of SMART Goals

SMART, which is an acronym that stands for Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound, was developed in 1981 by George T. Doran. At the time, Doran was the director of corporate planning at Washington Water Power Company, and he noticed that many business goals lacked the direction to have a meaningful impact. He published a paper titled “There’s a S.M.A.R.T. Way to Write Management's Goals and Objectives,” where he introduced the SMART framework as a method for writing more effective goals. 

Today, this blueprint for successful goal-setting is not only used in the business setting, but across the board in all industries, such as healthcare, education, technology, and more. To see how SMART goals can be beneficial in recovery, let’s break down each component of this goal-setting framework.

Breaking Down Each Component

While an overall objective gets us on the right track to overcoming alcohol misuse, SMART goals provide a more structured approach. Each component of the SMART framework plays a role in setting us up for success: 

1. S — Specific 

A specific goal has a clear direction and is well-defined. It should answer some of the following questions:

• What do I hope to accomplish?
• Why is this necessary?
• What actions do I need to take to achieve this?

Avoiding general goals helps us prevent procrastination and lack of direction, which can take our focus away from reaching our main objective.

Instead of: I want to have a better relationship with alcohol.

Try: To help overcome my alcohol cravings, I will identify and use a new coping mechanism such as healthy distractions by next month.

2. M — Measurable 

A measurable goal is one that we’re able to track our progress towards. This ensures that we’re actively working towards our overall objective and helps us adjust or develop new goals. Instead of only asking ourselves what we want to achieve, we should also consider how we’ll know when we’ve achieved this goal.

Instead of: I want to stay active.

Try: I will take a walk outside for 30 minutes 5 times a week for the next month.

3. A — Achievable 

While we’re not saying we should sell ourselves short, it’s also important to be realistic about what we’re able to achieve in a specific amount of time. Identifying achievable and actionable steps helps us reach our end goal. This can prevent anxiety or procrastination and provide a sense of motivation when we reach a certain milestone. 

An achievable goal takes into consideration our own abilities, our limitations, and the resources we have. We shouldn’t be afraid to set goals that we know we can achieve in due time. We’ll gain confidence to set new goals and continue to work towards the life we want to live. 

Instead of: By next week, I will go from having 10 drinks a week to 0 drinks.

Try: By next week, I will go from having 10 drinks a week to 7 drinks a week.

4. R — Relevant

SMART goals are like steps we take to reach our end objective, and they should align with this. In the case of alcohol, we should focus on goals that align with whatever our long-term goal is for quitting or cutting back. Our goals should move us in the direction we want to go and not get us off track focusing on other things. Ask yourself these questions to ensure your goals are relevant: 

• How does it get me one step closer to my main objective?
• How is it meaningful?
• How is this beneficial to my overall recovery?

Instead of: I want a better social life.

Try: I want to work on my confidence and find sober friends, which will result in a more fulfilling social life while I’m quitting or cutting back on alcohol.

5. T — Time-Bound

Last but not least, our goals should have a clear time frame for when we want to achieve them. We want to have varied time frames, such as weekly objectives, monthly benchmarks, and yearly goals to ensure we’re being realistic but also actively work towards our goals. 

Ensuring our goals are time-bound not only helps us stay focused on our progress but also helps us adjust our goals as needed. For example, if we’ve set a goal to decrease our consumption by one drink a week but aren’t meeting this, we can take more informed and intentional actions such as implementing more support, focusing on developing other coping mechanisms or prioritizing alcohol-free hobbies to distract us. 

Instead of: I will cut back on alcohol. 

Try: I will reduce my alcohol consumption by one standard drink every week, track my consumption, and check in one month to see how I did.

Now that we understand the importance of each component and its role in developing effective recovery goals, let’s look at some examples to help guide our own journey. 

Ideas for SMART Goals During Recovery 

Recovery requires addressing multiple aspects of our health. Let’s look at some examples of SMART goals for recovery that touch on different facets of our recovery. 

Recovery-Related Goals

• I will attend and actively participate in one recovery-related session (support group meeting, therapy session) per week for the next six months.
• I will develop a relapse prevention plan by identifying five triggers and positive coping mechanisms by next month.

Health Goals

• I will make sure to have vegetables, whole grains, protein, and healthy fats in every main meal to maintain a balanced diet for the next three months.
• I will participate in 60 minutes of daily movement 6 days a week for the next 6 months to lose excess weight.

Lifestyle Goals

• I will avoid using my phone one hour before bed for the next month to improve my sleep for the next month. 
• I will remove all alcohol from my home by the end of the week to create a space that supports my goals.

Social Goals

• I will identify a sober activity to do with a loved one by next week.
• I will identify people in my life who trigger or enable my drinking and set clear boundaries within the next two months.

Financial Goals

• I will limit eating out to once a week until I save $1,000 to put into my savings. 
• By next week, I will find an app to track my spending to help me better manage my finances.

Now that we’re equipped with the knowledge to write our own SMART goals, recovery gives us so much to look forward to!

Benefits of SMART Recovery Goals 

SMART goals are used widely for a good reason. In recovery, where a sense of direction is crucial, the SMART framework is a guiding light that can make a significant difference in a proactive approach to recovery rather than going through the motions. Let’s look at some of the benefits of using the SMART framework: 

• It breaks it up into manageable steps. Feeling lost or overwhelmed can delay recovery. Instead of waiting for change to happen one day, we can take an active approach and start now by setting SMART goals.
• It increases confidence. Using the SMART framework makes it easier to achieve our goals, and helps us not get discouraged and fall back into old patterns. The feeling of accomplishment, no matter how small, will increase our confidence and self-esteem, fueling our motivation to continue working towards a healthier relationship with alcohol.
• It fosters greater commitment. SMART goals require intentional thought and planning. This interactive framework helps increase our commitment towards our main goal. Recovery is like a project. One that we don’t spend any time or energy on, we may not care about, but one that we carefully plan and put time into, we’ll be more likely to put in the effort to see it through. 
• It reduces misdirection and anxiety. Quitting alcohol cold turkey can feel impossible, which might discourage some of us from starting recovery. SMART goals break down our overall objective into actionable goals that give us a strong sense of direction and make it more manageable.
• It sets us up for success. Goal setting is one of the first steps in recovery. By setting effective goals, we set ourselves up for success for the long term, and we develop healthy habits along the way.

While there are many benefits of SMART goals in recovery, our work doesn’t end there. Let’s get equipped to successfully manage recovery after setting effective goals. 

Beyond SMART Goals: Tips for Maintaining Recovery

Try implementing these interactive practices to help maintain your recovery journey:

• Track progress. Keeping track helps us understand what we can improve on and see how far we’ve come. This gives us a clearer picture of how we can tweak our goals while increasing our motivation to continue working towards our goals. 
• Celebrate milestones. Recovery can be full of ups and downs, but celebrating our progress reminds us of the positive aspects and motivates us to continue on our journey. 
• Understand setbacks. We’re aiming for progress, but sometimes setbacks are a part of the process, and that’s okay! Understanding that they may occur and learning to overcome them is crucial to reaching our goals.
• Adjust goals. While the SMART framework helps us set more effective goals, it doesn’t mean they won’t ever need to be modified. We can’t accurately predict how recovery will go, so modifying and setting new goals is beneficial for successful recovery. 
• Remember your “why.” SMART goals focus on actionable steps, but it’s also important to remember the big picture and why we’re setting these goals. This ensures we stay motivated during the ups and downs of recovery. 
• Get support. Recovery is no walk in the park, but thankfully we don’t have to go through it alone. Seek professional treatment, join a support group, or reach out to get help not only with developing SMART goals but also with navigating recovery.

These strategies help us make the most of setting SMART goals and achieve our main objective of developing a better relationship with alcohol and a healthier, happier lifestyle. In fact, coaches at Reframe also use SMART goals when setting milestones in your recovery. If you’re looking to stay on track with your goals, consider one-on-one coaching with Reframe!

The Road Ahead

In the world of recovery, having clear, structured goals can make all the difference. By setting specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound goals, we equip ourselves with a practical roadmap to navigate the complexities of developing a healthier relationship with alcohol. We’ll not only have greater focus and clarity, but also encouragement to keep going when we recognize our incremental successes along the way. Each step, no matter how small, brings us closer to our ultimate destination — a heather, alcohol-free lifestyle. Let’s toast to working SMARTer, not harder!