For me, early on in AA, the sheer number of people who were going to meetings and staying sober were enough for me to make a beginning. Being a part of a collective helped me to stay committed to my recovery. Someone else mentioned discipline, and I echo that. AA gave me tools to remain disciplined; going to x number of meetings a week, working the steps, working with others, getting right with God, getting honest.
I couldn't do it alone. There was no one to be accountable to. And I need to be a part of something that I can see and experience in order to believe in it.
I have been transformed. AA helped me to achieve this.
Rowan