Jul 9, 2015 | By Tim Powers

It Works If You Work It

Addiction & Recovery News

I recently started working out again, and I have to be totally honest with you–my fitness sucks.

Not only am I spending a large portion of my exercise regimen sucking wind, holding back vomit and turning different shades of color, I am asking myself “what in the hell am I doing?” a lot. I know that I am doing right by my body, my mind and my soul; its just that my body, my mind and my soul are not quite on the same page or chapter yet.

But I know if I keep working at it and keep going and keep my resolve, I will look and feel better. The same thing can be said about recovery and there is one phrase that sticks out in my mind when I feel this way, and it is a common one that is heard around the tables of 12-Step meetings everywhere.

It works if you work it.

Practice May Not Make Perfect, But It Makes Things A Lot Easier

No matter how long you have been in recovery, you have heard these classic recovery sayings repeated almost ad nauseum:

First things first

Let go, Let God

One day at a time

Live life on life’s terms

These are examples of common sayings that people in recovery have incorporated into their daily mantra. You may get sick of hearing it, but these saying speak to the truth and it works if you work it is no exception. The premise behind the saying is simple; we need to put in the work in order for our recovery to blossom and become long-term.

Sounds good, right? Of course it does, but we live in a world of right now and we want the results we want yesterday. It would be great to wave a proverbial magic wand or buy a sculpted piece of plastic or take a magic elixir to get the things we desire, but Toto–we aren’t in Kansas anymore.

To truly get what we want in life, we have to put the sweat equity into what we want. Recovery just isn’t about plugging the jug or getting rid of the physical dependence; it requires a full physical, mental, psychological and spiritual makeover.

Recovery is a lifetime journey and that can be tough for those early in recovery to wrap their heads around. You can’t get wrapped up in what may or could happen down the road and you can’t obsess of what is already in your rear view. You need to focus on what you can do in the here and now to move yourself forward, and that takes practice.

Baby Steps

Anything that we desire to be good at it we need to practice, there is no way around it. Whether you want to ball like Jordan, swing it like Mcllroy, shred it like Van Halen or sing it like Aretha it’s all about the blood, sweat and tears. Recovery requires the same dedication and perseverance.

I don’t know about you, but when I first was in my recovery, I didn’t have a clue to what I was doing or the where in the hell I was going. The world was a tuxedo and I felt like a pair of old brown shoes. I felt out of place at meetings and uncomfortable in my new sober skin. Every step seemed to be a wrong one and I let my emotions get the better of me. It was frustrating to say the least.

Those early days were full of fuck its, can’t I get this right? and this sucks. It would have been easy to throw in the towel, but I knew I had to keep coming back. I kept it at and listened to the advice of my peers and counselors who had walked the walk and I fell and skinned my knees more than my share of times, but I kept on working it.

I kept going to meetings, I kept journaling, kept meditating, kept working with those people who had want I wanted and leaned on the family and friends when I needed to. After awhile, I was starting to feel a little more comfortable and confident in my sobriety.

I used the tools that already had been given to me and I picked up more as I progressed in my recovery. Even though I have come a long way, I know I have a long way to go and that is alright with me.

It isn’t about the destination but what I learn along the way. Even if I just barely move forward, I am still moving forward. A good friend told me that recovery is a game of inches and it is so true.

Practice Makes Recovery Second Nature

Are you early in recovery and feel like you are hitting your head against the wall? Do you have some good clean time under your belt and feel stuck in the mental and spiritual quicksand? You have to keep pushing forward can keep practicing what has got you here to this point.

Continue going to meetings (even if you don’t feel like it), lean on your sponsors and your support people, establish new hobbies, volunteer, anything you need to do to try and inch forward. When you keep on working your recovery it will slowly become second nature and you will go from stumbling along to learning to dance with your recovery.

When life throws those left turns and curveballs, you will be better able to improvise and keep your recovery and sanity. Indeed, it works if you work it.