Sometimes when we are far away from a goal it is really hard to see how close we are to it, but when we track our progress, it lets us see our little wins, so we can celebrate little by little.

When we track our progress, it helps us understand which direction we are going in and once we establish a path towards recovery, gambling-related harm is reduced and eventually we feel better about ourselves.

You might want to do this because gambling is having a negative impact on the relationships you have with friends and family, is putting you in deeper financial debt, or if it is hurting you mentally and physically. Everyone has the right to live the life they would like to, so this blog post has been written to make sure you have the tools to take control of your life and help you reach your goals.

 

Setting Goals

When setting goals, it’s important to consider:

• How you plan to measure your progress? Monthly? Weekly? Daily? Hourly?
• Are you focusing on the things you can change?
• When will this start? When will it be accomplished?

 

Reaching our goals can sometimes be challenging but there are things we can do that make them more achievable by:

• Not setting goals that are too big
• Not setting goals that are too hard
• Don’t set goals that are too specific
• Don’t set goals that aren’t personal to you

 

Using apps to help with recovery

Another way tracking progress can help us reach our goals is by downloading apps specifically to help with your goals to reduce gambling-related harm or stop gambling altogether.

 

Here are helpful apps to download:

- RecoverMe

- Monitor Your Gambling & Urges (MYGU)

- Nomo

- Diaro – Diary Journal Notes

 

Some of these apps include access to CBT therapies and different resources if you need help immediately. Some also include mindfulness exercises that encourage you to record feelings associated with cravings and impulses to help you overcome urges that are stopping you from progressing

 

Using a calendar

Calendars are a good way to track progress because it helps you visualise how far along you are progressing with your goals. Being able to see that you are gradually getting closer to reaching your goals increases motivation, and it reminds someone why they are doing what they are doing. Also, when you see how far along you have come in your journey to recovery, it visually shows how far along you have come, and that is something to be proud of.

On a calendar either hung up on a wall or in a personal diary, you can use stickers to mark the passing of days since you have last gambled/self-excluded, or how many days it has been since you have set yourself a goal and have stuck to it.

 

The journey

To sum it all up, the journey towards a goal will not always be straightforward. It is important to remember that when you are trying to reach a goal, it is not about the destination, it is about the little wins you experience on the way that are helping you get to your goal.

However, if you had to take away one thing from this blog post, remember that sometimes not every goal can be reached, and that is okay! Don’t beat yourself up for not being able to reach a goal because you need to remember that sometimes we’re not perfect, we are human. If anything, praise yourself for trying because that was brave of you to do.

An important thing to keep in mind is that good things take time, so be sure to be kind to yourself, maybe by:

• doing something you love
• writing down affirmations to yourself
• recognising positive things like compliments
• trying activities like ‘open when’ letters (letter 1: you write a letter of encouragement to your future self to open when faced with a challenge, and letter 2: a letter to your future self to congratulate the goal you have achieved)

When you are faced with a challenge, roll with the resistance and see where it takes you, because we were not made to be perfect, so keep on trying you’re doing amazing.