good question, john. here's what worked for me. in early sobriety especially the most important thing i needed to do was to not drink in the here and now (a daily reprieeive from alcohol)-example: establishing the practice of not drinking today one day at a time. otherwise everything thinking about being sober and staying sober in the distant future and fixing the wreckage if the past is too much to handle. it can be overwhelming. in time doing the steps for the other things will follow but we all practice one day at a time in our sobriety. so staying in the very present and focusing on our recovery each day is the most important thing to do in our life. even those of us who have sobriety for any length of time it is always first on our list. not drinking for 24 hours. staying in the present to succeed success. newcomers may be overwhelmed about what/how we do anything else. simplicity is the key.
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As the daily reprieves add up, the recovering alcoholic will notice his mind becoming clearer, his health improving, his relationships getting better, and his self-esteem increasing. The recovering alcoholic will learn how to live life on life’s terms without alcohol–one day at a time.
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In the first few rocky days of recovery, just abstaining for that moment, hour, etc. is truly all we can do. If we can't do that, there's no point in worrying about tomorrow, or next week, or whenever. The One Day at a Time philosophy has benefits far beyond the early days in recovery. It can keep us grounded in the present – that Holy Instant that is so easy to miss in a busy and productive life.
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as for the future the steps of AA will guide you to determine/plan your future. so no need to worry about your life plan yet. just think about this-when we were drinking we had no plan nor did we care. i hope my comments will help.
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Do not let your fire go out, spark by irreplaceable spark, in the hopeless swamps of the approximate, the not-quite, the not-yet, the not-at-all. Do not let the hero in your soul perish, in lonely frustration for the life you deserved, but have never been able to reach. Check your road and the nature of your battle.
The world you desired can be won. It exists, it is real, it is possible, it is yours..~Ayn Rand
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