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Spartan Recovery, 919 12th Place, Suite 13, Prescott, AZ (2026)

04/07/2026

Psychology Today
"Besides taking a toll on their mental health, their physical health may take a beating, too. Pessimism, while it may be useful in isolation or in moderation, is associated with anxiety, depression, sleep disorders, hostility, high blood pressure, and heart disease."

The Spartan Basics
1. Pessimism is a dishonest scale.

2. P.S.A. Instead of complaining, take control.

3. Focus on effort, relinquishing the outcome.

4. Get busy working on the best version of you.

The Lesson
Pessimism sucks. It sucks the joy and peace out of the present. It is a dishonest scale because it only looks at the negative in a situation and can often warp your perceptions to make the situation appear worse than it is. Pause, and identify what you have going for you. Be grateful for them.

Remember a basic acronym:
P. - Problem
S. - Solution
A. - Action

Pessimism keeps you stuck in the problem until you do something constructive with it. Take control. Identify the Problem. Seek out a healthy Solution. Get into Action. Identifying the problem and seeking out a solution are not enough. You MUST get into Action.

As you work to overcome challenges, you can set a goal for a desired outcome, but then put your focus on the effort you put into achieving it. Outcomes are largely outside of our control.

Be clear about what you want most. Create / review the best version of you (your top 5 - 10 character assets you wish to master mentally, emotionally, physically, spiritually, and socially). Get into action daily with healthy activities (30 - 60 minute events) and micro habits (2 - 5+ minute actions) that strengthens your best version. This 100% inside your control. Working on you, in this way, will make you a more capable, optimistic person.

Questions? Need help with this? Reach out to us at: info@recoveryinthepines.com

04/06/2026

Mike Robbins
"However, this is actually what patience is all about – allowing things to be as they are and trusting that things will unfold as they are meant to.

It’s hard to do this in the best of circumstances, but over the last few years, it’s been even more challenging. One thing that can make patience specifically tricky is the fear that things won’t work out."

The Spartan Basics
1. Pause.

2. Know what you're aiming at.

3. Assess the situation.

4. Create the plan of action. Start small.

5. Strengthen your endurance in your downtime.

The Lesson
Before your impatience gets you into quick action, pause. Direction is more important than speed.

Set your direction by creating a target. If personal development, focus on creating your definition of the best version of you (your top 5 - 10 character assets you wish to master mentally, emotionally, physically, and spiritually) followed by SMART goals, personally and professionally.

Once you know what you're aiming at, you can better assess the situation ... what helps or hinders you from achieving your goals, appropriate expectations on when you can achieve them.

Massive right action is required. Create a plan of actionable, small steps. You will have greater patience and perseverance getting into a rapid succession of small steps than trying to take big leaps. Get into a habit of a massive amount of consistent, small steps. Then, focus on your effort and the journey, not just the destination.

Don't wait for the critical moment to occur before you drill the character qualities of your best version. This will build confidence, patience, and perseverance. The key is consistent effort every day. Layer up the intensity and complexity as you go, improving your self-confidence and endurance.

Questions? Need help with this? Reach out to us at: info@recoveryinthepines.com

04/04/2026

CliffNotes
"Here, he uses the metaphor of death to convey how a person feels inside when he or she runs away from a challenge. That person "dies" a little inside each time he or she chickens out, meaning that he or she loses a little strength of character each time he or she refuses to face a challenge of life."

The Spartan Basics
1. We don't just experience "death" at the end of our lives.

2. Assess how you have been contributing to your own demise on a daily basis.

3. Identify what matters most.

4. Have more life in your days.

The Lesson
There are many deaths we can experience while we are still alive ... the death of ... life purpose, relationships, joy, self-control, confidence.

Are you practicing one of these cowardly character habits ... settling, resentments, complaining, self-pity, excessive pleasure seeking over purposeful action?

Cut away any warped thinking and character defects that result in cowardice. If not, you will experience their natural consequences. Don't procrastinate. Wasted time, avoidance ... will only make you more afraid to do the right thing. Move on with courage.

Create / review the best version of you (your top 5 - 10 character assets you wish to master mentally, emotionally, physically, and spiritually) followed by SMART goals, personally and professionally, and hobbies. These are your top priorities.

Commit time daily to complete, at minimum, one healthy activity (30 - 60 minute events) and 3 - 5 micro habits (2 - 5+ minute actions) that move you towards your goals for your best life. Don't settle in doing whatever is comfortable or just take whatever life gives you. That is the way of a coward. Be purposeful with action. Don't get into avoidance. You will regret it.

Questions? Need help with this? Reach out to us at: info@recoveryinthepines.com

04/03/2026

Very Well Mind
“'Most of the time, we fill the gaps with our own biases, assumptions, beliefs, thoughts, ideas, and conclusions,' says Dattilo.

'This is especially relevant and problematic for individuals prone to anxiety or depression because the tendency would be to fill those gaps with negative, overly personal, catastrophic, or worrisome thoughts and conclusions.'”

The Spartan Basics
1. Know how you're wired.

2. Push pause.

3. Change your thoughts and you will change your world.

4. Act your way into right thinking.

The Lesson
P + B = E = A
Our (P)erceptions + (B)eliefs result in (E)motions and often trigger (A)ction. What if your beliefs and perceptions are warped, creating a false reality because you are addicted to a certain belief or thought pattern? (** formula credit Jeanne Sanner)

Gather information with courage to rigorously seek out the truth. You may be addicted to a "story" because it's what you desire in your heart. Don't look for the "facts" that fit your feelings. Have the courage to see things as they are and be willing to change your mind based upon the facts.

When you aren't committed to seeking out the truth, your eyes will be guided by beliefs, perceptions, and emotions. What if these are warped by trauma, negative bias, attraction to an unhealthy goal, or some other mental, emotional, physical, or spiritual ailments? You may need to seek professional help.

Create / review the best version of you (your top 5 - 10 character assets you wish to master, mentally, emotionally, physically, spiritually, and socially). As you actively live out this version of you daily, you will see how it starts to make you more aware and accepting of the truth instead of the image you wanted to see.

Questions? Need help with this? Reach out to us at: info@recoveryinthepines.com

04/02/2026

Medium.com
"The moment we say, 'I know,' we put a stop to our ability to know more — our cup is full, and we don’t want or need to know more.

In contrary, a beginner’s mind — a cup that isn’t already full, one that has space for learning, experience, personal growth, and life’s many lessons — can obtain a world of knowledge and experience we neglected in the first place."

The Spartan Basics
1. Don't assume you're the master.

2. Be willing to be the rookie.

3. Get into massive right action ... of small steps.

4. Rinse and repeat.

The Lesson
Don't stay stuck in the belief "I'm already good. I've got this." Your pride will keep you stuck.

Start by setting a goal. Better to be the rookie in the majors (consciously incompetent) than be the all-star in the minors (unconsciously incompetent). Have a desire to keep stretching and growing, and putting yourself around people who will inspire and challenge you.

Massive right action is required to learn a new habit or skill and build a competency at it. Get into a habit of a massive amount of consistent, small steps.

Pause periodically to review how you're performing to becoming consciously competent in the new skill or habit. Identify ways you can learn to increase the frequency, duration, complexity, efficiency, and effectiveness of your micro habits and activities. Keep getting after it, diligently, humbly, gratefully ... and you will become unconsciously competent in whatever you're aiming at. Or believe "I've got this," and likely stay stuck in being unconsciously incompetent.

Questions? Need help with this? Reach out to us at: info@recoveryinthepines.com

03/31/2026

Always Well Within
"We fear change because it puts our security in jeopardy; or we think it does. We don’t want to lose any of the things we already have: our life, our health, our wealth, our expectations of the future, our things, our family and friends, our sense of self.

If we could, we’d lock our lives up in a large safe, to which only we have the keys. Instead, we have to remain hyper-vigilant to any threat to those things we hold dear. We suspect anyone and anything that is unfamiliar; we shy away from risk; we close ourselves off to the possibilities present at every turn."

The Spartan Basics
1. Accept that all people and things may not always be in your life.

2. Focus on developing the qualities that can not be taken from you.

3. Work on strengthening these values daily.

4. Practice being present in the moment and engaging things as they are.

The Lesson
Practice acceptance in place of expectations and "should"s. These will lead to a warped belief that you can control people and things when you can't, leading to resentment or clingyness.

The best way to make sure you can engage the world as it is is to work on the best version of you (your top 5 - 10 character assets you wish to master mentally, emotionally, physically, spiritually, and socially). This will help keep you clear to see things as they are.

Practice daily a series of consistent micro habits (2 - 5+ minute actions) and one activity (30 - 60 minute events) that strengthen your best version and create internal serenity, harmony, peace, and joy. Work on the things no one can take away from you.

Also, practice being present in the moment and accepting things as they are. You don't need to like them or agree with them. But you do need to accept things as they are so you can minimize your attachment and suffering.

Questions? Need help with this? Reach out to us at: info@recoveryinthepines.com

03/30/2026

Bob Desautels
"There is something to be said for jumping head first into any new exploit. We are all too often reluctant to try new things. Cowards! It is a common observation made by older people that they regret the things they did not do more than they regret the things, even the mistakes, they did do."

The Spartan Basics
1. All of life has "risk".

2. What are you aiming at?

3. How badly do you want it?

4. Break difficulties down to simple steps. Assess along the way.

The Lesson
Avoiding risk doesn't keep you safe. It keeps you stuck. So choose your risk wisely or life will be difficult.

Healthy Risk = healthy goal + big upside + little downside

Unhealthy Risk = unhealthy goal + little upside + big downside

The bigger the risk, the more time you should take to educate yourself, assess the situation, and seek wise counsel to avoid unnecessary difficulties.

First, create / review the best version of you (your top 5 - 10 character assets you wish to master mentally, emotionally, physically, spiritually, and socially). Assess your risk against whether it leads you to your ideal goals or if it violates them. Work on strengthening these qualities.

Then, if you dont have powerful reasons why you desire your ideals, you will avoid hard things. Short-term pleasures or the avoidance of pain will be your driving force, distracting you from daring to do hard things that strengthen you to face life's problems.

Break down difficulties into simple steps.
Small steps = small failures minimizing difficulties

Small steps = small victories get you into healthy action quickly

Assess and re-orient along the way to any new factors that help or hinder you from your goals, and get back into action. Don't just plow ahead at a fast pace without re-assessing. Healthy daring is more about direction than speed.

Questions? Need help with this? Reach out to us at: info@recoveryinthepines.com

03/29/2026

Medium.com
"Our school system does not even come close to preparing us for life. The real world is a tough, ugly, and difficult place, at least, if that’s what you choose to focus on. We need to develop a strong mindset to successfully navigate through life. The kind that stands between where we are and where we want to be.

We must develop a mental acceptance for believing what is true about ourselves. You need to have faith in the person who’s staring back at you in the mirror."

The Basics
1. Shut down negative self-talk.

2. Remember challenges you've overcome in the past.

3. Know what you're aiming at and why.

4. Get into massive right action ... in small steps.

The Lesson
Don't let your self-doubt sabotage your success. Inventory any stuck or negative thinking and unhealthy habits you have that are holding you back.

Think back to other challenges you faced in your life that you overcame. Use this to inspire you to believe in yourself.

Create / review the best version of you (your top 5 - 10 character assets you wish to master mentally, emotionally, physically, spiritually, and socially). Act as if you are already that person.

Craft powerful "whys" with at least one "why" to the negative that would disgust you if you quit on yourself. Go deep!

Next, create the plan of healthy activities (30 - 60 minute events) and micro habits (2 - 5+ minute actions). Start small. It's easier to discipline yourself to put them into action.

Massive right action is required to grow into the person who can overcome big challenges. Get into a habit of a massive amount of small steps mixed in with a series of one daily activity to move past your doubt.

Questions? Need help with this? Reach out to us at: info@recoveryinthepines.com

03/26/2026

Intuitive Healing
"Can you think of something that’s happened in your life that has caused you a great amount of emotional pain? What if I told you that much of that suffering was domestic; coming from within? It is easy to dilute the pain we experienced to the direct cause of a rough happenstance, however we are often one of the most significant sources of our own suffering when life goes in a difficult direction. Often, the pain and suffering we create is the result of a desperate, subconscious attempt to disconnect from reality."

The Spartan Basics
1. Accept pain is a part of life, but you don't need to add to it.

2. Strip away the story.

3. Have healthy aims or wander into pain.

4. Get into action.

The Lesson
Pain is inevitable. Don't add to it by making unhealthy choices, leading to greater consequences, or by ruminating on it.

Assess what attachment you have to suffering ... often an expectation, a story, or an outcome that you struggle to let go of vs. simply accepting them as they are. Acceptance doesn't require that you like them or agree with them, just that you name things what they are by stripping away the story and emotional investment so you aren't held captive by them.

Create / review the best version of you (your top 5 - 10 character assets you wish to master mentally, emotionally, physically, and spiritually). Craft potent "whys" on your deepest motivation. Create a series of micro habits (2 - 5+ minute actions) that are small transformations. When you're focused on a goal, you're less likely to do the harmful things that will add suffering to the pain inherent in life.

Dedicate the time daily to work on your goals. Keep the steps as small as possible to minimize suffering. You can increase the frequency, duration, complexity, efficiency and effectiveness.

Questions? Need help with this? Reach out t

03/25/2026

Elevate Society
"The quote serves as a powerful metaphor for the concept of risk-taking. It implies that if we focus only on keeping things safe and secure, we will never venture out and explore new territories or experiences. In order to grow, learn, and achieve our goals, we must be willing to take risks and accept the possibility of failure. Like the captain who must set sail to fulfill his purpose, we too must embrace the uncertainty of life and pursue our dreams despite the potential for setbacks."

The Spartan Basics
1. Don't forget who you want to become as the best version of you.

2. Leverage your talents in the service of others.

3. Don't rest on your talent. Double down on effort.

4. Don't let your skills get rusty.

The Lesson
Create / review the best version of you (your top 5 - 10 character assets you wish to master, mentally, emotionally, physically, spiritually, and socially). This is a combination of your talents that you can use for your own personal growth and pit into service of others.

You now have a good idea of the assets you have to utilize in service of others. Look for volunteer opportunities or spontaneous needs as you go throughout your day where others may need your assets.

Talent alone won't get you there either. Double down on effort:

talent + effort = skill
skill + effort = mastery

In your daily down time, double down on honing your service skills. Get into a habit of a massive amount of micro habits (2 - 5+ minute actions) that strengthen your best version so your talents don't become rusty from lack of use.

Questions? Need help with this? Reach out to us at: info@recoveryinthepines.com

03/24/2026

Medium.com
"We marvel at the child prodigy who plays Mozart flawlessly or the athlete who seems born for the spotlight. Yet, beneath the surface of these stories lies a different truth — one that champions consistency over innate ability. Talent may offer a head start, but deliberate practice and persistence win the race."

The Spartan Basics
1. Know what you're aiming at and why.

2. Put together the plan

3. Don't rest on your talent. Show up. Put in the effort.

4. Purpose and action overcome mood and talent.

The Lesson
Start by aiming at a goal. Create / review the best version of you (your top 5 - 10 character assets you wish to master mentally, emotionally, physically, spiritually, and socially), followed by SMART goals, personally and professionally, with healthy hobbies.

Craft powerful "whys" with at least one "why" to the negative that would disgust you if you quit on yourself. Go deep!

Next, create the plan of healthy activities (30 - 60 minute events) and micro habits (2 - 5+ minute actions). Start small. It's easier to discipline yourself to put them into practice.

Talent alone won't get you there either. Double down on effort:

talent + practice = skill
skill + practice = mastery / success

Don't wait for the mood to inspire your talent. Get into action based upon pursuing your purpose. Get into massive action with consistent, small steps. You can layer up the intensity and complexity as you gain a mastery. Commitment to your best version and goals with consistent effort are key.

Questions? Need help with this? Reach out to us at: info@recoveryinthepines.com

03/23/2026

Restore Health & Longevity
"Recreation looks different for everyone. For some it can include going to the gym, playing sports, or hiking, while others may find more joy in cooking, listening to music, or doing art. Regardless of what your choice of recreational activity looks like, doing something you love can benefit your overall health by improving your self-esteem, cognitive functioning, and in some cases, having the same benefits as medication."

The Spartan Basics
1. Know what you're aiming at and why.

2. Create your curiosity list.

3. Go play.

4. Share it.

The Lesson
Create / review the best version of you (your top 5 - 10 character assets you wish to master mentally, emotionally, physically, spiritually, and socially), followed by SMART goals, personally and professionally, and healthy hobbies. Craft powerful "whys" for achieving these. This is your overall framework of where to apply curiosity and play.

Create a study list of new things regarding what you're aiming at. Visit a new place. Spend time in nature. Play games. Create art. Take time to engage people. Make sure to have items for each of your various dimensions. Be creative.

Invest time each day to explore one of the items on your list. Curiosity isn't cultivated just by thinking about it. You've got to go do it. And be consistent. If you only engage in it sporadically, it's easy to slide back into old patterns and quit.

Whenever possible, see who you can bring along to share the experience with. Creativity creates greater connections. Plus, you can learn from the other person's perspective. If you go on solo adventures, see who you can teach or tell about it afterward.

Questions? Need help with this? Reach out to us at: info@recoveryinthepines.com

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