That is the first main point that you must understand: recovery is all about action. You can sit and read books or web pages about it all day long, but until you start taking action and doing some stuff in order to work towards a new life in recovery, you will not get the results you want. This is because your new life in recovery must be created through action. Deliberate, purposeful action.

There are a couple of other key points you will need to implement in order to achieve lasting recovery. What is critical is that you understand which of these strategies should be used in early recovery, versus which strategies are more appropriate for long term sobriety.

The first strategy you will need in recovery is that of networking with others. Now this is particularly important for early recovery because of two different reasons. The first reason we need peer support in early recovery is for the added support and identification that we get from interacting with others. We need to know that we are not alone in how we feel and reaching out to other addicts in recovery is critical for this.

The second reason we need the peer support is for learning. We need to learn how to live again. This is the first major goal of your early recovery. Continuous learning is the only thing that will sustain your sobriety and if you don't keep learning then eventually you'll end up relapsing. And how can we learn in recovery? Not from reading recovery literature but instead from our friends in recovery and their stories.

Now the second strategy that you will need is to care for yourself. Now this might sound obvious but the typical addict or alcoholic has to relearn how to take care of themselves. We have typically abused ourselves and our bodies for so long that leaning towards good health seems unnatural.

Not only do we need to care for ourselves, but we need to do it in many different ways and on many different levels. So we are talking about going above and beyond mere physical health and abstinence from drugs and alcohol. We will want to think about our lifestyle, maybe eating healthier, getting more active physically, balancing our relationships with others, staying on a clean emotional level, and taking time to relax. And so on. Our view of health in recovery needs to be a holistic one. That means we take care of ourselves in every area of our life.

Finally, we want to employ the strategy of personal growth. In other words, we have to motivate ourselves to move make progress in our life. Again, the question arises: how should we grow as a person? And the answer is again: holistically.

We want to explore new avenues of growth and keep on learning in recovery. This is the secret to staying clean for the long haul and avoiding inaction. When we get complacent in our recovery we run the risk of relapse. So we have to challenge ourselves to keep growing in order to avoid this fate.

If you consider these 3 strategies then you will see that they can work together to form a complete strategy for recovery. Focus on the networking and learning in early recovery, then shift over to holistic growth and long term health habits as you enter long term recovery. This is the most solid strategy for long term success. Good luck!