I've gotta echo what Keith said. IF you fall into the category I do, you don't have the power to keep yourself sober. As was posted in another thread about someone who set their mind to not drinking yet found themselves right back on the horse that very same day, all the tips and tricks in the world just gave me hope that lasted right up until I poured that next first drink down my throat.........which was anywhere from minutes to hours after my decision to "not do it again tonight."
So......my advice is pretty-much my standard answer when someone new in AA asks what to do to get some years: get to some meetings, get a sponsor, read the AA book, and start working the steps with your sponsor's guidance like your life depends upon it - because whether you know it or now, your life DOES depend upon it. And even though you may "get" how big of of a deal this is, YOU can't make it happen.......YOU can't pull it off. If you could, you wouldn't be here, with me, right now. So......you do those things (meetings, sponsor, book and steps) to get you in touch with whatever power that's out there that's bigger than you.....and as soon as you start hookin' up with that power.......sobriety will be a snap - you won't have to do
anything to "keep yourself sober" - partly because there's nothing you CAN do to keep yourself sober but mostly because whatever your conception of a power greater than you is will have already done it all FOR you.
