Step Ten

I used to hear people call Step 10 the "maintenance step," and for a while, that made it sound like I was just keeping a machine running. But my sponsor helped me reframe it as a growth step. If the earlier steps were the heavy lifting that got me into the sunlight, Step 10 is how I keep moving forward into a larger, freer life. It isn’t about looking for reasons to beat myself up; it’s about having a "to-do list" for my continued spiritual development.

The real power of this Step is catching my character defects in action. It’s one thing to see my controlling nature in a Fourth Step inventory months after the fact; it’s another thing entirely to feel that "tightness" in my chest while I’m in the middle of a conversation and realize, “Oh, there’s that need to be right again.” In that moment, Step 10 becomes a living extension of Step 7. I don’t just say "I’m wrong" to be polite; I promptly admit it and make the conscious act of asking my Higher Power for help right then and there. It’s the practice of surrendering my self-will in real-time.

A huge part of this growth is learning to balance the books by looking at my assets. If I only focus on where I tripped up, I’m missing half the story. I need to see the moments where I didn't take the bait, or where I chose silence instead of a sarcastic zinger. Those assets are the evidence that the program is actually working. They aren't trophies for my ego; they are road signs telling me I’m headed in the right direction.

The spiritual principle here is perseverance. We aren't seeking perfection; we’re seeking awareness. By staying current with myself—checking in on my fears, my resentments, and my successes throughout the day—I prevent the "wreckage" from piling up. This Step keeps me teachable. It turns every interaction into an opportunity to grow a little closer to the person I want to be, rather than the person I used to be.