Around the world, there are many different people. Every person you see has their own set of capabilities, allowing them to be who they are.

You may watch a gymnast do an amazing trick or hear a singer hit an amazing note and be impressed. The truth is that we all have different talents and capabilities. Moreover, we can increase our capabilities with practice. Comparing yourself to others too often creates a distraction from your current and potential accomplishments.

What Are Your Capabilities?

Finding your capabilities allows you to establish a sense of what you are good at. You may not be the best athlete or artist. However, you might find that you are extremely funny or compassionate. We all have the capability to do specific things.

Determining what your capabilities are can give you a sense of purpose in recovery. You can utilize your capabilities to engage in something you enjoy. Additionally, you can alter your treatment plan to align with your capabilities.

To find your capabilities, try writing down each of the things that you find you are good at. Even if it is something simple, that is okay. You may begin by writing things such as being kind to waiters or waitresses or introspecting on your life.

The more you write down, the more capabilities will come to mind. Try to expand your thought processes and acknowledge more of your positive attributes. This can increase your motivation for what you can accomplish.

Assessment Points

Using the following assessment points, you can determine how your capabilities can positively influence your recovery. With these assessment points, you can understand what you can accomplish and what may be too far out of reach for now. Setting some goals that fit your capabilities can keep you from falling into frustration.

#1. Start Where You Are

At Dream Recovery, we work with our clients to create a plan that starts where they are. This will be the same for you.

By understanding your current starting point, you can create an individualized plan that aligns with your needs. Look at your reasonings for being in recovery, your current setbacks, and your goals. This will give you a further understanding of where you are currently and where you want to be moving forward.

#2. Analyze Your Goals

As you look at the goals you have set in place, review the steps to accomplish these goals. By analyzing your goals, you may find that you currently lack some of the capabilities needed to accomplish those goals.

For example, if your goal is to refrain from substance use, you may feel that you do not have the appropriate skills and coping mechanisms to deal with stressors without using substances. This is a common goal in recovery. Look at what you need to do to gain those capabilities. This can include engaging in group work to learn new skills, adding new coping mechanisms to your toolbox, or developing a support system.

#3. Relate to Your Current Capabilities

As you review the skills you need to gain to accomplish your goals in recovery, try to relate them to the capabilities you already have. Referring to our previous example, you may not feel that you have the appropriate coping skills to manage stress without relying on substance use. However, you may find that during moments of high stress, you are good at organizing and prioritizing tasks. Focus on the things you are good at already and use those attributes to help you move forward.

You still will likely need to gain more skills to fully reach your goals. However, relating your needs to your current capabilities can help you to build confidence in your abilities as you work to increase them. As you may not respond to stress or other obstacles in an ideal way currently, you have some capabilities already within you to help you alter these negative responses. Acknowledging your capabilities and giving yourself credit for some of the things you do right can be extremely motivational.

What If You Have No Capabilities?

One of the main problems with utilizing your current capabilities to move forward in treatment is finding them. Some individuals feel that they completely lack any capability to succeed.

This mindset is reinforced from a standpoint of learned helplessness. With learned helplessness, you have reinforced the idea that there is nothing you can do to change the outcome of a situation. If you hold this mindset, you are subjecting yourself to feeling helpless in life.

It is important to address these feelings and work to find something you are capable of. Even if this is hard to pinpoint, every person has capabilities beyond our awareness to set ourselves up for success.

Many individuals in recovery feel that they lack the capabilities to accomplish anything. If you are feeling this way, it is important to dig deep within yourself and find your positive attributes. While it may not always feel like it, you have many capabilities that can benefit you in recovery. You just have to find them and put them to use. Using these strategies, you can determine what your current capabilities are and utilize those capabilities to assist you in accomplishing your goals through recovery. This can help you to create an individualized treatment plan. To learn more about your current capabilities and how they can benefit you, reach out to Dream Recovery at (657) 216-7218

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