GETTING OUT FROM GOING UNDER

The Five Year Recovery Journal

A Sentence a Day, One Day at a Time

By Susan B.
 Copyright © 2015 by
Getting Out from Going Under Publishing

PDF EDITION for SCRIBD

All rights reserved.

This version of “The Five Year Recovery Journal” may be freely shared, distributed, and
downloaded as long as you do not edit, change, add, or eliminate any of the content,
including links and author information.

You are not allowed to sell or resell this book in any manner,
including electronic or print version.

Printed in the United States of America

First Printing, 2015

Second Edition for Scribed, 2020

Published by:
Getting Out from Going Under Publishing
GettingOutfromGoingUnder.wordpress.com

If you are a compulsive spender, check out Susan B.’s book:

Getting Out from Going Under Daily Reader for Compulsive Debtors and Spenders
What is the Five Year Recovery Journal

Often, when we work a recovery program, we can’t see how far we’ve come, whether in
days, weeks, months, or over years. In addition, we tend to beat ourselves up over our
perceived lack of progress when we go through slumps in our program. But remember:
“We are not saints. The point is, that we are willing to grow along spiritual lines.” (page
60, Big Book of Alcoholics Anonymous).
By writing in this journal, you will capture the essence of your own recovery day by
day, and see your growth along spiritual lines as you look back through this written
record of your journey. If you are committed to recovery, you will surely see that
commitment spilling out onto the journal pages one sentence a day, one day at a time.
The Five Year Recovery Journal provides an easy way to use the tool of writing as an aid
to recovery. Yes, you will see both your highs and lows, the obstacles in your path, and
how you worked through them. Your journal will show you the big picture of your
recovery. Two conscious decisions were made in the creation of this journal:
1. Daily prompts are provided.
2. There is only space available for one or two sentences. Or you can draw or doodle in
the space instead.
I know from personal experience that even if we begin a journal with enthusiasm, when
faced with a big page, many of us become frozen, our minds become , and we
experience overwhelm. Keeping a journal then becomes a tedious chore instead of a
quick and simple tracking tool that will eventually reveal the richness of our recovery
journey as a many faceted jewel.
The point of this simple exercise is to build a recorded stream of recovery day by day.
The fact that it spans five years will give you a fascinating look at where you were at
any point along the way. And the fact that you only have to write a sentence makes it
more likely that you will continue the process.
If you are willing to put in just a couple of minutes a day, you will find before too long
that this journal has become your trusted friend and teacher, whom you will come to
cherish as the years pass. By the time you have completed this journal, it will most
likely look worn-out, but its beauty and value will be realized in direct proportion to its
use.
Note: This book should become dog-eared over time. Knowing that, hopefully, you will
immediately feel comfortable writing in it, drawing in it, bending it, using it!
Book Contents

Here is a synopsis of what you will find in The Five Year Recovery Journal:
1. Your recovery goals for the year.
2. Name of the month.
3. At the beginning of each month, there is a page with space to write on the
associated step*. Here are a few suggestions on what you might think about
when writing on the step.
a. Write about where you are as far as working the step.
b. Write about how you will work on the step this month.
c. Write about what has happened in your life because of working the step.
4. Space to write your recovery goals for the month.**
5. Space to write one sentence (or draw/doodle) on a daily prompt.
6. Overall thoughts about the month just ended.**
7. At the end of the year, you will have room to write your overall feelings about
the year that just ended.**

*For Steps 1 and 12, if you are multi-addicted, just write the addiction(s) you are
working on in the box each year. Otherwise, fill in the blank with your addiction.
** If the goals and reflections at the beginning and end of the month and year are too
much for you, then, just stick with the daily prompts!

Remember, writing one sentence a day is the goal!

(Writing the goals and reflections is optional.)
Suggestions for How to Use This Book

This is your journal and you are free to use it as you wish to extract its value for your
recovery. In fact, you can write whatever you want each day and ignore the prompts
entirely! You can even draw how you feel instead! It’s your journal. But here are a few
suggestions to get the most out of your experience.
1. Many of the daily prompts are in the Big Book. Each day, before beginning to
write, take a minute to look up the word or phrase in an online or print
dictionary/thesaurus or in the Big Book of Alcoholics Anonymous. There is a
simple way to search the Big Book online – go to http://anonpress.org/bb/. You
can just type any word into the search box to find it in context. Search for slogans
online to see if there is any further explanation.
2. You may want to keep this journal where you meditate as a special area in which
to work on it.
3. Each day, after reading the prompt and looking it up online, take a minute to
close your eyes and allow the words to sink in. Take a few deep, slow breaths to
center you. Here are two questions that may help you find what you want to
express:
a. How does the prompt make you feel?
b. In what way do you relate to the prompt?
c. Then, write, draw, or doodle whatever comes to you.

REMEMBER
You are only committing to write one sentence a day!
(Writing the goals and reflections is optional.)
Your five year recovery journal adventure
begins on the next page.
 Recovery Goals for the Year

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 Step 1
We admitted we were powerless over _______—
that our lives had become unmanageable.

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 Recovery Goals for this Month

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January 1 POWERLESSNESS
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January 2 ACCEPTANCE

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January 3 HITTING BOTTOM
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January 4 HUMILITY

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January 5 ALLERGY OF THE BODY
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January 6 COURAGE

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January 7 DESIRE
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January 8 EASY DOES IT – BUT DO IT

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January 9 FAITH
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January 10 GIVE TIME … TIME

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January 11 HALF MEASURES AVAILED NOTHING
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January 12 I CAN’T … GOD CAN

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January 13 IT WORKS IF YOU WORK IT
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January 14 JUST DO IT FOR THE NEXT 24 HOURS

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January 15 KEEP IT SIMPLE
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January 16 LOOK WITHIN

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January 17 MORE WILL BE REVEALED
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January 18 NO MAGIC CURE

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January 19 OPEN-MINDED
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January 20 PAUSE

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January 21 READY
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January 22 SANITY

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January 23 THE BOTTOM LINE
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January 24 UNFAIR

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January 25 WE ARE NOT SAINTS
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January 26 YOU ARE NOT ALONE

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January 27 ADDICTION
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January 28 BREATHE

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January 29 CHOICE
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January 30 DENIAL

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January 31 EQUANIMITY
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OVERALL THOUGHTS ABOUT JANUARY

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 Step 2
Came to believe that a Power greater than ourselves
could restore us to sanity.

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 Recovery Goals for this Month

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February 1 GOD OF OUR UNDERSTANDING
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February 2 HAPPY, JOYOUS, AND FREE

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February 3 IF ONLY…
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February 4 JOURNEY

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February 5 JUST FOR TODAY
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February 6 KEEP COMING BACK

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February 7 LIFE ON LIFE’S TERMS
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February 8 MEETINGS

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February 9 NORMAL
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February 10 OBSESSION

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February 11 PAIN
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February 12 ONE DAY AT A TIME

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February 13 PAINSTAKING
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February 14 RATIONALIZATION

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February 15 SELF-DISCIPLINE
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February 16 THIS, TOO, SHALL PASS

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February 17 UNMANAGEABLE
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February 18 WALKING THE WALK

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February 19 RELAPSE BEGINS WITH THE FIRST _______
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February 20 SERENITY

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February 21 TEMPTATION
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February 22 USELESSNESS & SELF-PITY WILL DISAPPEAR

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February 23 WHY ME? WHY NOT ME?
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February 24 YES, BUT…

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February 25 A GRATEFUL HEART DOESN’T PICK UP
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February 26 BEDEVILMENTS

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February 27 CARRY THE MESSAGE
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February 28 DISCONTENTED

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February 29 EFFORT
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Note: You will only have a maximum of two leap years during your journey. Use the
extra space below for anything at all!

OVERALL THOUGHTS ABOUT FEBRUARY

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 Step 2
Made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God as we understood
Him.
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 Recovery Goals for this Month

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March 1 FEAR
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March 2 GENEROSITY OF SPIRIT

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March 3 HAVOC
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March 4 IMPULSIVE

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March 5 ABSTINENCE
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March 6 BASICS

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March 7 ACCEPT THE THINGS I CANNOT CHANGE
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March 8 BELIEF

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March 9 CLEAN HOUSE
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March 10 DESIGN FOR LIVING

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March 11 EASIER, SOFTER WAY
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March 12 FAMILY RELATIONSHIPS

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March 13 GEOGRAPHIC CURE
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March 14 HARMONY

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March 15 ILLUSION
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March 16 JAILS, INSTITUTIONS, & DEATH

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March 17 KEEP AN OPEN MIND
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March 18 LONGING

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March 19 MOTIVATION
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March 20 NEVER FORGET WHERE YOU CAME FROM

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March 21 OUTREACH
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March 22 PERSEVERANCE

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March 23 RECOIL AS FROM A HOT FLAME
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March 24 SUGGESTIONS

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March 25 THINK IT THROUGH
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March 26 UNITY

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March 27 VICTIM
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March 28 WHAT IF…

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March 29 ASSETS
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March 30 BE A SPONSOR

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March 31 CHANGE
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OVERALL THOUGHTS ABOUT MARCH

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 Step 4
Made a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves.

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 Recovery Goals for this Month

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April 1 DETACH
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April 2 ENTIRELY READY

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April 3 FELLOWSHIP
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April 4 GUILT

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April 5 HIGH BOTTOM
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April 6 INSANITY

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April 7 JUST DO THE NEXT RIGHT THING
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April 8 KNOW THYSELF

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April 9 LET GO AND LET GOD
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April 10 MEDITATION

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April 11 NINETY AND NINETY
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April 12 OLD-TIMER

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April 13 PEACE OF MIND
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April 14 RELAPSE

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April 15 SELF-DELUSION
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April 16 TALKING THE TALK

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April 17 UNMANAGEABILITY OF OUR LIVES
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April 18 WE HAVE A CHOICE

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April 19 ACT AS IF
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April 20 BONDAGE OF SELF

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April 21 CELEBRATION
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April 22 DRY DRUNK

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April 23 EGOCENTRIC
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April 24 FEELINGS ARE NOT FACTS

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April 25 GRATITUDE LIST
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April 26 HELPING OTHERS

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April 27 INSIDIOUS
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April 28 JOY

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April 29 LET GO
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April 30 MIRACLES

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 OVERALL THOUGHTS ABOUT APRIL
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FREE THOUGHTS

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 Step 5
Admitted to God, to ourselves, and to another human being the exact nature of our
wrongs.
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 Recovery Goals for this Month

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May 1 NEWCOMER
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May 2 ONE IS TOO MANY & A MILLION NOT ENOUGH

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May 3 PASS IT ON
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May 4 RECOVERING

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May 5 SELF-WILL RUN RIOT
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May 6 THE TOOL OF WRITING

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May 7 WILLFULNESS
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May 8 ACTION

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May 9 THERE BUT FOR THE GRACE OF GOD GO I
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May 10 COMFORT

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May 11 DAILY INVENTORY
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May 12 ENVY

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May 13 FEARLESSNESS
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May 14 GRASPING

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May 15 HEALING
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May 16 ISOLATION

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May 17 JUSTIFIABLE ANGER
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May 18 LIVE AND LET LIVE

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May 19 MISTAKES
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May 20 PICKING UP WILL MAKE IT WORSE

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May 21 REACH OUT
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May 22 SELF-PITY

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May 23 A SIMPLE PROGRAM
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May 24 TRUDGE THE ROAD OF HAPPY DESTINY

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May 25 SELF-KNOWLEDGE AVAILS NOTHING
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May 26 WILLINGNESS

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May 27 SELF-INDULGENCE
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May 28 AFFLICTION OF THE BODY, MIND, & SPIRIT

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May 29 BECAME WILLING
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May 30 CHALLENGES

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May 31 DO IT SOBER (ABSTINENT, SOLVENT…)
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OVERALL THOUGHTS ABOUT MAY

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 Step 6
Were entirely ready to have God remove
all these defects of character.
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 Recovery Goals for this Month

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June 1 FREEDOM
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June 2 HONESTY

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June 3 IRRITABLE
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June 4 ACCEPTANCE IS THE KEY TO ALL OUR DIFFICULTIES

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June 5 INTEGRITY
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June 6 MISERY IS OPTIONAL

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June 7 PINK CLOUD
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June 8 REGRET

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June 9 SLOW AND STEADY
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June 10 IMPROVEMENT

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June 11 THOROUGH
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June 12 TRUST

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June 13 WHITE KNUCKLING IT
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June 14 TOLERANCE

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June 15 STOOD AT THE TURNING POINT
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June 16 PATIENCE

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June 17 HATRED
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June 18 DISCIPLINE

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June 19 CURE
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June 20 ATTITUDE

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June 21 AMENDS
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June 22 BALANCE

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June 23 CRAVING
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June 24 DISHONEST

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June 25 FRIENDSHIP
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June 26 GOSSIP

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June 27 HUMBLE
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June 28 INTUITION

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June 29 LIVE IN TODAY
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June 30 PERFECTIONISM

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 OVERALL THOUGHTS ABOUT JUNE
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FREE FORM THOUGHTS

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 Step 7
Humbly asked Him to remove our shortcomings.

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 Recovery Goals for this Month

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July 1 POSSIBILITIES
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July 2 SELF-CONTROL

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July 3 TAKE RESPONSIBILITY
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July 4 WILL POWER OR HIGHER POWER?

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July 5 HOPE
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July 6 ANNIVERSARY

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July 7 CONSEQUENCES
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July 8 AWARENESS

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July 9 CHANGE IS A PROCESS
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July 10 CONTEMPLATION

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July 11 FIRST THINGS FIRST
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July 12 FORGIVENESS

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July 13 HALF MEASURES
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July 14 HOW IMPORTANT IS IT?

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July 15 LISTEN AND LEARN
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July 16 PEOPLE, PLACES, AND THINGS

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July 17 PROMISES OF THE PROGRAM
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July 18 PRIORITIES

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July 19 LOVE IS ALL POWERFUL
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July 20 HELPFUL

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July 21 FROM DARKNESS COMES LIGHT
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July 22 COOPERATION

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July 23 ANONYMITY
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July 24 COMMON SENSE

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July 25 CONSCIOUS CONTACT
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July 26 ADMITTING WE WERE WRONG

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July 27 ASK FOR HELP
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July 28 CHALLENGES

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July 29 CONTENTMENT
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July 30 COURAGE TO CHANGE THE THINGS I CAN

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July 31 WORRY
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OVERALL THOUGHTS ABOUT JULY

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 Step 8
Made a list of all persons we had harmed,
and became willing to make amends to them all.
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 Recovery Goals for this Month

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August 1 WE STOOD AT THE TURNING POINT
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August 2 SUFFERING IS OPTIONAL

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August 3 SLIPS
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August 4 SHARE YOUR JOY

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August 5 REMORSE
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August 6 RESILIENCE

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August 7 RESTRAINT
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August 8 LOVE

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August 9 GIVE IT AWAY
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August 10 FUN

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August 11 ENABLING
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August 12 COMPARISON WITH OTHERS

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August 13 ANGER
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August 14 ATTITUDE OF GRATITUDE

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August 15 ADMIT COMPLETE DEFEAT
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August 16 CONSCIENTIOUS

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August 17 DESPAIR
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August 18 FAITH WITHOUT WORKS IS DEAD

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August 19 FRUSTRATION
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August 20 GUIDANCE

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August 21 HARMS TO SELF AND OTHERS
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August 22 PHENOMENON OF CRAVING

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August 23 PEACE
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August 24 REFLECTION

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August 25 RESTITUTION
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August 26 RESTORED TO SANITY

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August 27 RESTLESS
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August 28 SELF-RIGHTEOUS INDIGNATION

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August 29 SELF-SEEKING WILL SLIP AWAY
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August 30 TERMINAL UNIQUENESS

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August 31 THE TOOL OF LITERATURE
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OVERALL THOUGHTS ABOUT AUGUST

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 Step 9
Made direct amends to such people wherever possible, except when to do so would
injure them or others.
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 Recovery Goals for this Month

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September 1 TURN OVER OUR WILL
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September 2 WRECKAGE OF THE PAST

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September 3 A HALLUCINATION IS
A VISION WITHOUT A PLAN
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September 4 BINGE/SPREE

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September 5 CHARACTER DEFECTS
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September 6 COMPROMISE

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September 7 CUNNING, BAFFLING, POWERFUL
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September 8 THE TRADITIONS

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September 9 TURN IT OVER
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September 10 COMPASSION

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September 11 F.E.A.R. IS
FALSE EXPECTATION APPEARING REAL
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September 12 GRACE

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September 13 HELPLESS
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September 14 PRAYER

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September 15 RELEASE YOUR OLD IDEAS
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September 16 THE STEPS

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September 17 WISDOM TO KNOW THE DIFFERENCE
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September 18 SURRENDER TO OVERCOME

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September 19 SEVENTH TRADITION
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September 20 SICK AND TIRED OF BEING SICK AND TIRED

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September 21 SLIPPERY PLACES
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September 22 SELF-SEEKING

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September 23 SELF-WILL RUN RIOT
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September 24 A SUBTLE FOE

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September 25 WITHOUT HELP IT IS TOO MUCH FOR US
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September 26 COMFORT IS OVERRATED

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September 27 COMPULSION
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September 28 CONTROL

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September 29 FOLLOW DIRECTION
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September 30 GOING TO ANY LENGTHS

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 OVERALL THOUGHTS ABOUT SEPTEMBER
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FREE FORM THOUGHTS

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 Step 10
Continued to take personal inventory
and when we were wrong promptly admitted it.

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 Recovery Goals for this Month

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October 1 GRACIOUSNESS
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October 2 H.A.L.T.=HUNGRY, ANGRY, LONELY, TIRED

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October 3 PLEASURE
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October 4 PRIDE

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October 5 REPLACE GUILT WITH GRATITUDE
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October 6 RIGHT-MINDED

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October 7 SEARCHING & FEARLESS MORAL INVENTORY
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October 8 REVENGE

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October 9 SELF-JUSTIFICATION
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October 10 SHORTCOMINGS

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October 11 SHARE YOUR PAIN
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October 12 THE DIRECTIONS ARE IN THE BIG BOOK

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October 13 THERE IS ENOUGH FOR EVERYONE
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October 14 WE ARE ONLY AS SICK AS OUR SECRETS

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October 15 SPONSORSHIP
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October 16 A SPIRITUAL SOLUTION

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October 17 SERVICE
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October 18 RIGOROUS HONESTY

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October 19 RESISTANCE
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October 20 PROCRASTINATION

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October 21 PROGRESS, NOT PERFECTION
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October 22 PRIMARY PURPOSE

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October 23 WOULD I RATHER BE RIGHT … OR HAPPY?
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October 24 SOBRIETY FIRST, THE REST WILL FOLLOW

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October 25 SURRENDER
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October 26 CHAPTER 5 OF THE BIG BOOK: HOW IT WORKS

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October 27 COMPLACENCY
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October 28 DON’T PICK UP NO MATTER WHAT

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October 29 EXPERIENCE, STRENGTH, & HOPE
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October 30 FEARLESS AND THOROUGH

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October 31 FIT SPIRITUAL CONDITION
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OVERALL THOUGHTS ABOUT OCTOBER

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 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.

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 Recovery Goals for this Month

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November 1 EXPECTATIONS ARE
PREMEDITATED RESENTMENTS
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November 2 FOUNDATION

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November 3 GROWING ALONG SPIRITUAL LINES
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November 4 HAPPINESS

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November 5 HOPELESSNESS
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November 6 Incomprehensible DEMORALIZATION

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November 7 PRAYER CHANGES THINGS
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November 8 PRINCIPLES BEFORE PERSONALITIES

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November 9 PROGRAM FIRST
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November 10 A PROGRESSIVE DISEASE

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November 11 RIGOROUS
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November 12 SELFLESSNESS

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November 13 THE SERENITY TO
ACCEPT WHAT I CANNOT CHANGE
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November 14 SPIRITUAL EXPERIENCE

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November 15 SUCCESS
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November 16 THE ONLY REQUIREMENT FOR MEMBERSHIP

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November 17 TRUSTWORTHY
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November 18 THE SUBSTANCE IS

THE LAST THING TO GO
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November 19 SELFISHNESS
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November 20 SEEK THE Help OF A HIGHER POWER

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November 21 CLOSED-MINDED
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November 22 CONTEMPT PRIOR TO INVESTIGATION

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November 23 COURAGE TO CHANGE
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November 24 TRANSFERRING ADDICTIONS

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November 25 DON’T QUIT BEFORE THE MIRACLE HAPPENS

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November 26 WHAT IS MOST IMPORTANT?

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November 27 COMPLAINING
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November 28 CONFUSION

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November 29 FEAR OF FINANCIAL INSECURITY
WILL LEAVE US
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November 30 GROWTH

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 OVERALL THOUGHTS ABOUT NOVEMBER
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FREE FORM THOUGHTS

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 Step 12
Having had a spiritual awakening as the result of these Steps, we tried to carry this
message to _______, and to practice these principles in all our affairs.

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 Recovery Goals for this Month

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December 1 HIGHER POWER CAN
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December 2 HOPEFUL

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December 3 IF NOT THIS … THEN SOMETHING BETTER
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December 4 LOW BOTTOM

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December 5 OLD TIMER
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December 6 GROUP CONSCIENCE

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December 7 CONVICTION
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December 8 EXCEPTION TO THE RULE

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December 9 WHAT IS YOUR HIGHER POWER?
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December 10 LIVING AMENDS

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December 11 AT SOME OF THESE WE BALKED
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December 12 DOING WHAT WE ALWAYS DID

GETS US WHAT WE ALWAYS GOT
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December 13 ASK HIGHER POWER FOR THE COURAGE TO
BEAR DISCOMFORT UNTIL COMFORT COMES
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December 14 INSANITY: DOING THE SAME THINGS

OVER & OVER EXPECTING DIFFERENT RESULTS
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December 15 PAIN IS WHAT I WALK THROUGH
MISERY IS WHAT I SIT IN
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December 16 RELIANCE ON A HIGHER POWER

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December 17 LET GO
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December 18 THE URGE WILL PASS

WHETHER I PICK UP OR NOT
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December 19 INCONSIDERATE
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December 20 WORKING WITH OTHERS

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December 21 A BUTTERFLY IS A PATIENT MOTH
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December 22 THE FURTHER YOU ARE FROM YOUR LAST

BINGE, THE CLOSER YOU ARE TO YOUR NEXT
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December 23 REMEMBER WHERE WE CAME FROM
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December 24 LOVE FOR OTHERS

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December 25 POSTPONE FOR 24 HOURS
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December 26 RELEASE

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December 27 SINCERITY
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December 28 EVERYONE IN RECOVERY MUST

WALK THROUGH DAY 1, DAY 2…
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December 29 IF YOU NEVER TAKE THE FIRST
______ ,YOU’LL NEVER RELAPSE
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December 30 SOBRIETY, THEN SERENITY

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December 31 RECOVERY IS A JOURNEY
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OVERALL THOUGHTS ABOUT DECEMBER

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 CONGRATULATIONS!

You’ve completed another year in recovery

Now it’s time to write your…

 OVERALL FEELINGS ABOUT THE YEAR PAST

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 The Twelve Steps of Alcoholics Anonymous

1. We admitted we were powerless over alcohol—that our lives had become unmanageable.
2. Came to believe that a Power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity.
3. Made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God as we understood
Him.
4. Made a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves.
5. Admitted to God, to ourselves, and to another human being the exact nature of our wrongs.
6. Were entirely ready to have God remove all these defects of character.
7. Humbly asked Him to remove our shortcomings.
8. Made a list of all persons we had harmed, and became willing to make amends to them all.
9. Made direct amends to such people wherever possible, except when to do so would injure
them or others.
10. Continued to take personal inventory and when we were wrong promptly admitted it.
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.
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.

The Twelve Steps of Alcoholics Anonymous are reprinted and adapted with permission of
Alcoholics Anonymous World Services, Inc. (“A.A.W.S.”) Permission to adapt the Twelve Steps
does not mean that A.A.W.S. has reviewed or approved the contents of this publication, or that
A.A.W.S. necessarily agrees with the views expressed herein. A.A. is a program of recovery
from alcoholism only - use of the Twelve Steps in connection with programs and activities
which are patterned after A.A., but which address other problems, or in any other non-A.A.
context, does not imply otherwise.
About the Author

Susan B. is a recovering compulsive overeater and compulsive spender. She is also the
author of the Getting Out from Going Under Daily Reader for Compulsive Debtors and
Spenders.

For more information, visit Susan B.’s blog:

GettingOutfromGoingUnder.wordpress.com