The 12 Steps of Alcoholics Anonymous, explained plainly
The steps don’t fix us by themselves. What they do is give us a specific way of looking at what went wrong and a set of actions for doing something about it. We have found that working them — not just reading about them — is what makes the difference.
1Admitting powerlessnessAdmitting that alcohol had us, and that our lives had stopped working2Came to BelieveFinding a reason to believe that things can change3Made a DecisionMaking a decision to stop running our lives on self-will alone4The moral inventoryWriting an honest account of our resentments, fears, and conduct5Admitted to AnotherTelling another person what we found in Step Four6Entirely ReadyBecoming willing to let go of the character defects we found7Humbly AskedAsking for those defects to be removed8Made a ListMaking a list of everyone we harmed and becoming willing to face them9Made Direct AmendsGoing back to the people we hurt and making it right where we can10Continued InventoryKeeping a daily account of where we fall short and admitting it promptly11Prayer and MeditationDeveloping a practice of prayer or meditation to stay connected12Carry the MessageCarrying the message to others and living the principles day by day
Content draws from the Big Book of Alcoholics Anonymous, 1st Edition (1939), public domain. Not affiliated with or endorsed by AA World Services.