Ally
Aligned with your recovery, allied with you.
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FOCUS is a goal-setting and execution framework built specifically for addiction recovery. It keeps the discipline of classic goal formulas, rebuilds every letter for how recovery actually works, and surrounds each goal with the machinery to draft it, track it, review it, and recalibrate it — for as long as recovery takes.
A goal that fails any letter gets rewritten before it gets attempted — no exceptions.
ASK YOURSELF What exactly will be different — and is it just one thing?
IN PRACTICE "Stop drinking alcohol completely" — not "drink less and get healthier."
WHY IT MATTERS Stacked goals split attention; in recovery, divided attention is a vulnerability.
ASK YOURSELF Could someone else verify this happened?
IN PRACTICE "Attend three support group meetings per week, logged in my journal."
WHY IT MATTERS Denial thrives in vagueness. If it can't be recorded, it can't be reviewed.
ASK YOURSELF Can I do this in my current week, with my current energy?
IN PRACTICE "Exercise three times a week" — not "run a marathon next month."
WHY IT MATTERS Overreach triggers the shame–relapse cycle. Recalibrating is strength, not retreat.
ASK YOURSELF Does this goal serve my sobriety and the person I'm becoming?
IN PRACTICE "Improve mental health" before "learn a new hobby."
WHY IT MATTERS Goals that conflict with your values quietly collapse — and take momentum with them.
ASK YOURSELF When will I do it — and when will I review it?
IN PRACTICE "Complete a 30-day program; review with my sponsor on the 1st."
WHY IT MATTERS A goal without a review date is a wish. The review is where FOCUS lives.
How a goal moves from idea to habit. Run it every week; it never stops being the engine.
Write the goal in one sentence.
Run all five FOCUS checks; rewrite until it passes.
Say it aloud to another person. Unshared goals are easy to abandon.
One observable log entry per day — thirty seconds counts.
On the scheduled date, score it with the FOCUS Check.
Passed? Celebrate & raise the bar. Missed? Resize — never abandon, never double.
Goal load grows with capacity — and never exceeds five active goals.
Run 1–2 FOCUS goals only — sobriety-critical basics: treatment steps, meetings, sleep. Review weekly.
Add habit goals — exercise, journaling, routines — up to 3–4 active goals. Review weekly.
Add growth goals — relationships, work, purpose. Cap at 5. Weekly reviews plus a full 90-day reset.
Rate every goal 0–2 on each of the five tests, before you attempt it and at every review.
| Test | 0 points | 1 point | 2 points |
|---|---|---|---|
| Focused | Several changes bundled together | Mostly one change, edges blurry | Exactly one clearly defined change |
| Observable | No way to verify it happened | Trackable but rarely logged | Logged daily — anyone could verify |
| Calibrated | Requires a version of me I'm not yet | Stretch beyond current capacity | Doable this week, as I am today |
| Unified | Unrelated to recovery or values | Loosely connected to recovery | Directly serves sobriety and values |
| Scheduled | No timeline, no review date | Timeline but no review date | Timeline plus a standing review date |
FOCUS-ready. Share it and start tracking.
Fix the weakest letter before you attempt it.
Wrong goal for right now — recalibrate with your support team.
Three roles, three rhythms. The framework was designed with all three inside it.
Make one observable log entry per goal; notice triggers and wins. Thirty seconds in a journal or app counts.
Hears your FOCUS Check scores, witnesses commitments, and calls out drift kindly.
Reviews the goal portfolio, recalibrates the 90-day arc, and adjusts treatment fit.
"Anyone can write a good goal. FOCUS sizes it to your week, logs it daily, reviews it on schedule, and resizes it when life moves — because in recovery, the goal is never the hard part. The follow-through is."
Ordinary goal advice stops at writing the goal well. Each FOCUS letter was designed for what recovery actually demands.
Not just clearly defined — one change at a time, because divided attention is a recovery vulnerability.
Not just measurable — a daily, verifiable log. Denial games metrics; it can't game a record.
Not a one-time realism check — continuously resized to this week's actual capacity.
Not merely relevant — it must serve your sobriety and the person you're becoming.
Not just a deadline — a timeline plus a standing review date, where the goal actually lives.
Draft one goal, one line per letter — then score it with the FOCUS Check.
Print this page, or use the full Goal Builder worksheet in the FOCUS framework guide and the REBOOT course workbooks.
In a Regroup 90-day course, alongside your treatment program, or at home with a partner — the system is ready when you are.
See the Courses Get in Touch Contact UsTwenty honest statements, about two minutes, and a score on the spot — showing where you are on the journey and which course fits you right now: STABILIZE, BUILD, or EXPAND. Private, free, and one size doesn’t fit all: your result is a starting line to review with your support team.
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Aligned with your recovery, allied with you.
Your FOCUS™ Guide
Learn the recovery goal framework — and how to start using it today
Hi, I'm Ally — aligned with your recovery, allied with you. I'll walk you through FOCUS™, Regroup Recovery's goal-setting and execution framework, step by step. Use the sidebar or the Next button to move through the tutorial at your own pace.
Ready? Click Next and let's look at what makes FOCUS different from every goal formula that came before it.
FOCUS™ is a goal system built for recovery — not borrowed from business. It's secular, measurable, and designed around how recovery actually works: finite energy, real triggers, and capacity that changes week to week.
FOCUS gives every recovery goal five tests to pass, then surrounds the goal with the machinery to run it: a weekly cycle, a 90-day arc, a scoring rubric, and built-in support roles.
Draft » Test » Commit » Track » Review » Recalibrate — a complete loop every week. A goal that fails any letter gets rewritten before it gets attempted, and relapse is treated as data, never a reset.
FOCUS is proprietary to Regroup Recovery, created by Skip Vanderburg, and anchors the REBOOT study-guide library and course series you'll see later in this tutorial.
Here's each test in detail. When you draft a goal, run it through all five — one honest question per letter.
| Test | The rule | Ask yourself |
|---|---|---|
| Focused | One clearly defined change at a time | Is this exactly one thing? |
| Observable | Progress you can see, count, and record daily | Could someone else verify it happened? |
| Calibrated | Sized to your capacity this week | Can I do this as I am today? |
| Unified | Aligned with your recovery and values | Does it serve who I'm becoming? |
| Scheduled | A timeline plus a standing review date | When will I do it — and review it? |
Score each test 0–2 for a total out of 10: 8–10 commit · 5–7 rewrite the weakest letter · 0–4 rethink the goal with your support team.
FOCUS works for two audiences at once — the person in recovery, and the center guiding them.
Per SAMHSA's 2024 NSDUH, 48.4 million Americans had a substance use disorder — and only about 1 in 5 received treatment. Modern, measurable, belief-neutral frameworks widen the front door.
You can start FOCUS today with a journal, one supporter, and thirty minutes of reading. Here's the path.
For recovery centers, the fastest path is a single 90-day pilot cohort. Everything your team needs already exists.
Every element of FOCUS is backed by a chapter in the REBOOT study-guide library — the framework is the engine; the guides are the fuel.
| FOCUS element | Supporting study guides |
|---|---|
| Goal drafting & five tests | Setting Goals to Deal with Addiction · the Step-by-Step Management Plan |
| Daily logging | My Recovery Journal Templates — daily pages & weekly check-in |
| Stabilize (days 1–30) | Understanding & Acknowledging · the Journey Map · the Treatment Plan |
| Build (days 31–60) | Support Network · Managing Triggers · Managing Cravings · Healthy Habits |
| Expand (days 61–90) | Building a New Lifestyle · Relapse Prevention · Long-Term Sobriety |
| Weekly & monthly reviews | Continuously Monitoring Progress — the monitoring loop & scorecard |
The REBOOT Course Series packages everything into three guided 30-day courses — run instructor-led (one 90-minute group session weekly, 6–12 participants) or self-led at home (read 45 min, workshop 30, partner call 30, plus daily journaling). Each course ends with a milestone gate before the next begins.
Face it · the plan · first FOCUS goals · the daily habit
Your people · triggers · cravings · healthy habits
New lifestyle · storm plan · monitoring · graduation
Every course ends at a gate — and each has its own self-scoring assessment: STABILIZE · BUILD · EXPAND. Along the way, the interactive Toolbox keeps your FOCUS scorecards, trigger map, craving card, journal, and habit tracker in one private place — and the Recovery Centers directory can connect you with verified professional support whenever you need it.
Whether you're starting your own 90 days or bringing FOCUS to your center, we'll walk you through it — materials, pilots, and everything in between.
Skip Vanderburg · Founder, Regroup Recovery · skip@regrouprecovery.org
Open the Contact Form Email Skip DirectlyNeed help right now? SAMHSA National Helpline 1-800-662-HELP (4357), free & confidential, 24/7 · Call or text 988 · Emergencies: 911