Thought: Better to succeed at conquering just one defect at a time than to fail to correct everything at once.
Addictions UK uses Twitter to share inspirational Thoughts every day. This article is based on one of them.
The road to hell is paved with good intentions. It has a fast lane on which you can get there quicker by trying to do too much too soon.
It’s a temptation we all face whenever things are wrong. The perceived urgency to change everything dramatically and quickly is almost irresistible.
And so we rush in headlong, desperate to escape the bad state that things are in and to enjoy a better life in every way.
But, in truth, we are well aware of the twin pitfalls which turn our desperation into a race to disaster.
For one thing “to fail to plan is to plan to fail”. If we don’t take time to assess the risks and prepare contingencies then it’s going to go wrong. Unforeseen difficulties may overwhelm us, choices informed only by ignorance may tear us away from success and rushed repairs will fall apart.
The other obvious danger is that our ambition will outstrip our abilities. By trying to do do much at once we may fail to achieve anything at all.
The Twelve Steps encourage us not only to to admit that we are powerless over our addiction but also to recognise that we need help to recover. And so with the guide of a mentor and the support of our friends and family we need a plan for manageable progress. The fearless inventory, the recognition of wrongs and the determination to amend defects of character shows us the way forward but, as in every aspect of our progress, we need to proceed a step at a time, setting and achieving realistic goals.
Better to take a successful step than a great leap into failure.
Follow us at @addictionsuk. Please contact us now if you need help with recovery from any addiction and especially if you are seeking home-based treatment.
