Originally Posted by
Jfanagle 
I was told early on in my recovery, "only go to a meeting when you don't want to." I have followed this advice for a few years now, and while there is, in my opinion, NO substitute for taking the steps as quickly as you can and getting a sponsor to show you the way, the frequency of meetings is a function of how comfortable you are with your God and your own sobriety. I know people who attend meetings everyday, and then have a drink to celebrate their consistency of attendance!
Balance is all to me. I came to AA to start living my life again.
I am getting close to 6 months of sobriety. I was so fortunate that the first person I spoke to face to face after making that phone call ended up being my sponsor We started working on the steps immediately. I had a sponsor & was into the step work before I went to my first meeting!
With respect to meetings, I am still trying to find the right balance. I have a career with irregular hours that takes me out of town quite often. I have a wife & small children - chores, evening activities for the kids that I can't expect my wife to handle on her own.
Initially, I went to 2 meetings a week but I am now trying to get to more. For me, it is not a good idea to go to meetings when I am exhausted - I don't get much out of them. My rule of thumb is that if I choose not to go to a meeting, I better have a darn good reason (my wife & my sponsor both have "permission" to kick my ass if I am just being lazy).
At my meeting last night, I commented that I honestly feel the best I have ever felt in my life. The promises of the BB are starting to come true. Meetings help me focus, gain perspective, learn, help others. But I have no doubt that it is the steps (working through them & trying to live them) & the guidance and direction of my sponsor that got me to this point. I used to be concerned that I worked through the steps too fast but I had to do it to "save me from myself" - my ego would have taken over & I would have started doing things on my own again. I can't say that I did the steps "perfectly" - just the best I could at the time. And I find that the further I get into the program, the more I learn and I can always revisit the previous steps with a better understanding.
Another rule of thumb I have is to always err on the side of caution. I would much sooner do too much for my sobriety than too little - it's just so important.
Don