“Ask yourself if what you're doing today is getting you closer to where you want to be tomorrow.”
— Paulo Coelho
In recent posts, I’ve written about using mindfulness to stay aware of my thoughts and feelings, giving myself the chance to choose healthier responses to triggers rather than seeking escape or numbness. I call these “pause points,” and they’re becoming habitual — a very good sign in my recovery.
This mindful awareness has become powerful support for my day-to-day progress. But lately I’ve realized I want to move beyond the familiar “one day at a time” mantra. That mindset is essential in early recovery, but it can’t carry the full weight of a long-term life. The Paulo Coelho quote struck me because I’m not always clear on the second half of the question: if I don’t know where I want to be tomorrow, how can I know whether my choices today are leading me in the right direction?
Recovery requires daily attention, yes — but I also need to return to the bigger questions of purpose, meaning, my why. I feel solid in my near-term sobriety (fingers crossed, thumbs pressed). I have this photography project as a yearlong effort that motivates me each week. But beyond these ongoing successes, I still haven’t built a broader plan for my life.
Yesterday, during a moment of reflection, I began creating a new document — an inventory of my current state of being. My good and poor choices. My helpful and unhelpful habits. My areas of awareness and the places where I’m still avoiding effort. Taking that inventory proved valuable, and I realized that doing this regularly could become a healthy new habit that brings clarity and direction as I continue in recovery and in life.