4 Recovery Lessons to Bring to Your Career in 2017

It’s a New Year, meaning it’s time for you to step out and follow your dreams. Now that you’re in recovery, you have a vast skillset that will not only help you in your personal life, but throughout all elements of your professional life. Why not harness the same lessons you’re learning in recovery to benefit the workplace? Now is the time for goal-setting, and that is something to be embraced.

For those in recovery, taking a regular moral inventory is something that many are accustomed to and something that creates a skill in self-awareness. Leverage these same skills as the New Year begins, but also apply it to your career. What are the things you need to improve on? How can you be a better employee or leader in 2017? A thorough examination of your skills, goals and ambitions will help you achieve a year of effective career building, business growth, and a healthy recovery.

Professional Resolutions

As you plan for a year of momentum and growth, here are four professional resolutions to make in 2017, rooted in the principles of recovery, to boost your career and continue growing into the best professional you can be.

• Get a mentor.
  No matter what recovery program you’re working, the value of having a recovery coach, sponsor, accountability partner or mentor is valuable. The same goes for your career. Don’t let this year go by without having the right people walking the professional journey alongside you to challenge and grow your skills. Finding others who are senior in their careers will help you avoid common business or career mistakes, and having a mentor in recovery will help you blend the benefits of recovery with your professional life. January is National Mentoring Month, so there is no better time to get started with a mentor – start by reaching out within your industry or recovery community to find others in recovery who can help you by investing their time and insights into your professional life.
• Leverage the power of your network.
  In recovery, you’re surrounded by a large number of likeminded individuals who are sober and who are putting their recovery first. Within the vast community of recovery, it is a common trend to see people helping one another out, both personally and professionally. Leverage the power of your network and learn to create the same culture in your business or career. Whether you want to create the element of collegiality on your team at work or are starting to build a culture within your own business, recognize the beauty of that trend in recovery – the reliance on one another for the benefit of an overall goal. When you implement this professionally, you see the growth of trust, the deepening of your business mission, and a more effective community.
• Be honest about your progress.
  In the professional world, it can be painful to work with others who unaware or out of touch with their weaknesses or areas that need improvement. In recovery, this can be your strength. To keep your recovery strong, you need to be self-aware by taking a regular moral inventory, thoroughly analyzing your shortcomings. Make this a practice professionally, no matter if others are doing the same. Set the tone that you’re a leader who is not afraid to address your failures, not intimidated by apologizing, and someone who is open for feedback and constructive dialogue. This practice will help you not only be a more effective leader, but it will strengthen your recovery along the way, aligning your personal values with your professional habits.
• Do your best, today.
  No matter what a day at work is bringing you, do your best always. This is an important practice if you’re hoping to launch your career, move up in your company or grow your business. You can have ambitious goals, but don’t lose sight of the good you can do today. Character, a strong recovery and a successful business are all built by small, consistent actions of doing the right thing, one action at a time. Take this simple fact from your recovery and implement it into every day at work. It will ground you in doing the right thing, will help you avoid impulsive actions, and will permeate to your coworkers to create a healthier, more effective workforce.

The Value of Recovery

Recovery is valuable in all elements of life. When you’re a professional and are building a business or career, the lifestyle of recovery can likely give you helpful strategies to use when growing as a professional. There are more ways to converge your recovery and your professional life, but start by implementing these four strategies to make your 2017 effective – as a person in recovery and in the workforce.