When people enter treatment for substance use disorder (SUD), they may be coming from a period in life where they are feeling a little lost. They could be out of work or school. Maybe they don’t have a permanent living situation and do not know what their next step in life is going to be beyond getting treatment. What are your future plans after addiction treatment?

It’s normal to feel confused and overwhelmed if you’re going through treatment. While receiving treatment, you’ll have the guidance and opportunity to not only figure out what your next step in life is going to be but determine what concrete things you are going to do to get there. This involves coming up with both long- and short-term plans for building a bright future for yourself.

Determining What You Want Your Life to Look Like

Before you can get into the details of future plans, you have to first consider what you want your life to look like moving forward. Obviously, it is going to look quite a bit different than it was when you were engaging in substance use – but in a very good way. The opportunities you have in front of you are truly endless, and you can build whatever future you want for yourself. Things that you once might have thought were impossible are now within reach.

Consider what hopes and dreams you had for yourself before being impacted by addiction. Maybe you wanted to get a college degree, land your dream job, or start a family someday. Perhaps you wanted to learn a certain skill or use a talent you have to help other people. Take the time to make a list of all these hopes and dreams. It doesn’t matter how unrealistic they may seem now – include them all. You can then reflect upon these things and begin to visualize what your future could look like. It can provide a great sense of hope for tomorrow.

Coming Up With Short- and Long-Term Goals for Future Plans

Once you have a better idea of what you want your life to look like following treatment, you can begin to determine your goals for the future. While it’s great to have big goals, you want to make sure that they are not only realistic and attainable but that you know what concrete steps you’re going to take to accomplish them. Part of doing this is to help ensure that you don’t become frustrated or burned out when it doesn’t feel as if you are meeting these goals as quickly as you anticipated.

You can start by writing two different lists, one list is for short-term goals and the other is for long-term goals. It is easier to start with long-term goals first. You can then tailor your short-term goals into things that you can do that will help you accomplish a specific over-arching goal.

Examples of Long-Term Goals

Some examples of long-term goals you may have could include: finishing college, getting a job in a certain field, paying off debt, starting your own company, becoming more financially independent, or getting your own home. These are things that typically are not going to be accomplished in a short period, but there are still things that you can do regularly to help ensure they happen.

Examples of Short-Term Goals

For example, maybe your long-term goal is that you want to finish college, but you just can’t afford to do so right now. Your short-term goals could include applying for financial aid, trying to get scholarships, and setting a certain amount of money aside each month to go toward furthering your education. Remember that you are on your own timeline and doing what works for you. Maybe you start by just taking a couple of classes per semester while working the rest of the time. You can always increase your class load as time permits in the future.

Maybe you want to work your way up to a certain career. You can do this by perfecting your trade, learning skills that will help you accomplish this, and gaining experience from others.

By putting in the work and making the sacrifices every day, you may be surprised by how soon you’ll be able to accomplish that long-term goal after all.

Tracking Your Progress Along the Way

Tracking your progress as you go about this process can be very beneficial for your mental health. Being able to see how far you’ve come can fill you with a sense of pride and accomplishment. It can also provide the motivation you need to keep putting in the work to accomplish that bigger goal. Remember to be patient with yourself and give yourself grace. You are doing the incredibly important work of changing your life for the better – and your future self will thank you for it.

If you’re struggling with substance use disorder, it may feel as if all those hopes and dreams that you once had for yourself are gone or at least temporarily out of reach. The truth is that your future can be whatever you want it to be, and the opportunities are endless. It all starts with getting treatment for your substance misuse. Once you are sober, you can begin to reflect upon what kind of future you want and what you’re going to do to get there. This includes making short- and long-term goals. If you are ready to get help, call The Kimberly Center at (855) 452-3683 today to learn more.