Originally Posted by
flg1412 
I can tell you what it means for me, from fresh newly sober eyes. At 43 days - longest streak in years.
It means not "forgetting" to log in here daily and read for at least half an hour. Even when I am feeling strong and don't particularly think I need it.
It means working through my list of basic to-do's that I have neglected for so long being drunk every night. Simple things like wash my face, put on my pyjama's, drink hot chocolate while I read in bed. Right now doing those every night can seem like work while the habits are formed.
It means sticking to the 2 x 15 minute sessions daily cleaning and sorting out my house. Watching the slow and steady progress day by day.
Writing my 3 gratitude's every night. It can feel like work to make myself do them but they are making new habits and thought patterns.
To me right now, in early sobriety it all seems like work. But doing it is making staying sober easy. Yes I said easy - right now, in the moment. I have been able to overcome any of the niggling thoughts of drinking just sticking to my simple list of "jobs". As time passes the work will change and adapt to where I am in the process but for now, right now - I am putting in the work and staying sober.
I agree with everyone, but ^^^ hit home. 5.5 years sober, and it still means those things to me: staying connected to sober others, taking time every day for prayer and meditation and gratitude, checking my conscience every evening to see how I've done. Not drinking, on the beam. At first just learning to do -- learning I needed to do -- those things was hard work, and then it was even harder work to understand why it was so hard, if you know what I mean.
PS for me, for a few years, it also meant going to AA meetings, sometimes more than 1 a day, having a sponsor, working the 12 steps, and doing service for my home group. But that was because of the course I took to sobriety. Not everyone does the work of AA.