The Twelve Steps are the heart of Alcoholics Anonymous. First published in 1939 in the book Alcoholics Anonymous, usually called the Big Book, they describe a program of action that millions of people have used to get sober and stay that way. Many other recovery programs have since adapted them.
The Steps aren't rules, and AA describes them as suggestions. But people who have worked them thoroughly tend to describe the same result: not just freedom from drinking, but a different and better way of living. This guide explains each Step in plain language and links to our deeper guides where we have them.
Where the Steps Came From
AA began in 1935 when Bill Wilson, a New York stockbroker, and Dr. Bob Smith, a surgeon in Akron, Ohio, discovered that talking with each other helped both of them stay sober. Drawing on their own experience, the spiritual principles of a group called the Oxford Group, and the medical views of Dr. William Silkworth, they and the early members wrote down what they had been doing. Those writings became the Big Book, and the Twelve Steps sit at its center. For more on the book itself, see the Big Book of AA explained.
The Steps in Four Stages
It can help to think of the Steps in groups. Different sponsors describe these stages differently, but a common way to see them is:
- Steps 1 to 3: Admitting the problem and becoming willing to accept help
- Steps 4 to 7: Looking honestly at ourselves and becoming willing to change
- Steps 8 and 9: Repairing the harm we caused
- Steps 10 to 12: Living the program every day and helping others
Steps 1 to 3: The Problem and the Decision
Step 1
"We admitted we were powerless over alcohol, that our lives had become unmanageable." The only Step that mentions alcohol. It asks for complete honesty: that our own willpower hasn't been able to control our drinking. Read our guide to Step 1.
Step 2
"Came to believe that a Power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity." This asks for openness, not certainty. Members understand a higher power in many ways, including God, the AA group, or the program itself.
Step 3
"Made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God as we understood Him." A decision to stop running everything on self-will and to try a new way, with help. Our guide to Steps 2 and 3 covers both.
Steps 4 to 7: Honest Self-Examination
Step 4
"Made a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves." A written inventory of resentments, fears, and conduct, looking for our own part and the patterns behind our drinking. How to write a Fourth Step inventory.
Step 5
"Admitted to God, to ourselves, and to another human being the exact nature of our wrongs." Sharing the inventory, usually with a sponsor. Many people describe enormous relief at finally letting go of secrets.
Step 6
"Were entirely ready to have God remove all these defects of character." Becoming willing to let go of the patterns we found, including ones that once helped us cope.
Step 7
"Humbly asked Him to remove our shortcomings." Asking for help with those defects, and practicing humility: seeing ourselves honestly, neither better nor worse than anyone else.
Steps 8 and 9: Making Things Right
Step 8
"Made a list of all persons we had harmed, and became willing to make amends to them all." Listing the people we hurt and becoming willing to repair the damage.
Step 9
"Made direct amends to such people wherever possible, except when to do so would injure them or others." Taking responsibility directly and changing our behavior, with care not to cause new harm. How to make amends in Steps 8 and 9, and the Promises that come with this work.
Steps 10 to 12: A Daily Way of Life
Step 10
"Continued to take personal inventory and when we were wrong promptly admitted it." A daily check-in that keeps resentments and harms from piling up again.
Step 11
"Sought through prayer and meditation to improve our conscious contact with God as we understood Him, praying only for knowledge of His will for us and the power to carry that out." A daily practice of connection and quiet reflection.
Step 12
"Having had a spiritual awakening as the result of these Steps, we tried to carry this message to alcoholics, and to practice these principles in all our affairs." Helping other alcoholics, and living the program everywhere, not just in meetings. Our guide to Steps 10, 11, and 12.
The Twelve Steps are reprinted from Alcoholics Anonymous and are used for educational purposes. This site is not affiliated with Alcoholics Anonymous World Services, Inc.
Why the Order Matters
The Steps are designed to be worked in sequence, because each one prepares the ground for the next. It's hard to write an honest inventory without first deciding to try a new way of living. It's hard to make sincere amends without first seeing your own part. People who skip ahead, for example jumping straight to apologies, often find the changes don't last.
That said, many newcomers start simple habits from the later Steps right away, like a nightly review or helping set up a meeting, and that does no harm.
How People Work the Steps
- With a sponsor. A sponsor is an AA member who has worked the Steps and guides you through them. See how to find a sponsor.
- With the literature. Most sponsors use the Big Book, and many also use Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, which has a short essay on each Step.
- In meetings. Step study meetings focus on one Step at a time. See types of AA meetings.
- In writing. Several Steps, especially Steps 1, 4, and 8, involve written work.
- Over and over. Many members work through the Steps several times over the years, finding something new each time.
Many AA meetings also follow a custom of focusing on one Step per month: Step One in January, Step Two in February, and so on. Our daily reflections follow the same pattern.
Common Questions
How long does it take to work all 12 Steps?
There's no fixed timeline. Some people work through them in a few months, others take a year or more. Honesty and thoroughness matter more than speed.
Do I have to believe in God to work the Steps?
No. The Steps use the word God, but AA leaves it to each member to understand a higher power in their own way. Many atheists and agnostics work the Steps and stay sober.
What's the difference between the Steps and the Traditions?
The Twelve Steps guide personal recovery. The Twelve Traditions guide how AA groups work together. See the 12 Traditions explained.
Can I work the Steps without going to meetings?
The Steps were written for people working together. Most members find meetings and a sponsor essential, both for guidance and for the support of people who understand.
A Reflection for Every Day
One question, a short reflection, and one small practice, for every day of the year.
Read Today's Reflection →