I couldn't stay sober till I became willing to follow the program of recovery offered by Alcoholics Anonymous. To that end, here are the instructions I was given by my sponsor at the beginning:
1. Get on my knees every morning and every evening, asking "God" [use whatever label works for you] to keep me sober in the morning and thanking "Him" [ditto] before I go to bed for doing so.
2. Attend 90 A.A. meetings in 90 days (i.e., a minimum of one meeting per day for 90 days).
3. Read the first 164 pages of the Big Book, highlighting whatever jumps out at me (I've felt like that, thought that, did that).
4. Call my sponsor every day.
5. Get a home group and a service commitment.
"If you have decided you want what we have and are willing to go to any length to get it -- then you are ready to take certain steps. At some of these we balked. We thought we could find an easier, softer way. But we could not."