Let’s face it, new year resolutions can be awesome. They can also be terrifying. After all, who wants to fail….again?

This year, 2014 (can you believe it – it’s 2014?!), should be a year of celebration, a year of new experiences, a year to become the best sober-you ever!

So, if you haven’t already, grab a pen, or your iPad, or your smart phone, or your computer (no excuses!)…and make a short list of goals for this year. If you do this, and make the goals realistic and reachable, I promise that you will have a successful year and a reason to celebrate your achievements.

Here’s a short list to give you some ideas:

1) I will be true to myself. (no more following the pack and caving to peer pressure).

2) I will be clean and sober. (no more masking life’s trials with chemicals, it’s time to face them, conquer them, and move forward with life!).

3) I will attend meetings regularly. (no more skipping meetings when it’s not convenient, meetings are my lifeblood, they keep me sane and sober and I need them).

4) I will cherish my true friends and respectfully lose those who don’t help me be the best sober person I can be. (no more falling back with the same crowd, it’s time for a new me and a new circle of support).

5) I will be grateful for every day and every breath and every sober moment. (no more thinking I can do this by myself, I will be grateful for help from a Higher Power and for help from family and friends, and I will not take any of them for granted any longer).

6) I will be true to others. (no more lying, sneaking, pretending, covering up, hiding out; I will be honest in my successes and my failures with all those I trust to help me be a better person).

7) I will get treatment if I need it. (no more pretending I’m OK, because I’m not, I am an addict and I need help to save my life).

8) I will take responsibility for me. (no more blaming others, this is MY life and I am going to rock it!).

Well, you get the idea…let’s make 2014 our best year yet! Clean, sober, alive, and moving forward.