Hi getitright
I had to work pretty hard at staying sober. It's not an easy cruisey thing in those first few months - it's determination, total commitment vigilance and effort.
I didn't do step work but I read the book and I think I understand the philopsphy behind it.
I always looked as the 12 steps as a kind of quest - each step builds on the one before...almost an exponential thing.
If you want to get from where you are to where you want to be, it makes sense to me to start the quest again, from the start, not as a punishment but as a voyage of self improvement.
Not doing all 12 steps is kinda like only maintaining half an engine?
D