Progress, Not Perfection: Celebrating Small Wins

As a mother, I wanted my child to have a smooth, linear path to recovery. I wanted milestones like sobriety anniversaries and signs of healing to come quickly and last forever. But addiction and mental illness don’t work that way. Progress is rarely linear, and setbacks are inevitable. The key, I’ve learned, is to focus on progress, not perfection.

Every small win matters. A day without conflict. A moment of laughter. A therapy session they willingly attended. These moments are seeds of hope, and acknowledging them helps sustain me during the harder days. I also had to redefine what success looked like—not a perfect, problem-free life, but one filled with effort, growth, and love. Recovery is a journey, not a destination, and learning to celebrate the small victories keeps us moving forward.