Michael66

Step 1 took me years to get to grips with.

Joe Nerv

5th and 9th for obvious reasons. Although with the 9th I felt almost possessed, as if someone else were speaking and acting, when I made the actual amends. Maybe it was the 8th that I really struggled with, as the willingness was harder than the doing. Yeah, I'll say 5 and 8 for me.

Alraihani

I have a lot of fear in step nine. Its difficult because i make it difficult in my hardline approach in making amends to ALL those ive harmed financially, physically, mentally, and spiritually.

UncleMeat69

Try starting with your easiest amends first and save the harder ones until later. By the time you get to the hard ones you will be strong enough to do them.

Alraihani

Thanks for the advice my sponsor gave me similar advice.

Gottalife

Step 5, the freedom step. Most difficult but also the most rewarding for me.

Johno1967

I do Step 3 everyday and even send emails and texts to myself at night like "HP does not need your help today" and "Just Turn it Over and Let Go, Let God" so I can read them the next day. My first thought in the morning is step 3 and first thing I try to do in a moment of "quiet time" at the start of the day is recite a step 3 prayer I have written below. Not had a day goes by where I have not had to do a Step 10 at the end of the day. I can't stop myself from trying to run the show and control things, outcomes and people. I'm trying and its progress not perfection, just takes an ounce of humility and discipline (which I lack). The BB is spot on when it says my life is unmanageable when I try to control it. Hardest part is trying to work the steps without getting to meetings and not being able to talk to someone who's in the same boat. I have a fool for a sponsor (me).

My Morning Prayer

God, I surrender my will today,
I surrender my life to you and offer all that I am.
Give me your guidance today so that I may do your will
Remove all anxiety, fear, resentment and doubt from my heart.
Grant me patience, strength and courage to persevere,
That I may act, think and speak with humility, respect, temperance and faith.
May my lower desires and my faults be removed and my path made clear by your light.
May I find my way to you through serenity and peace.
May I do your will today, not mine.
And be Forever grateful.
Amen

Boleo

IMO step 11 is the most esoteric step of them all. Before there were 12 steps written in 1939 there were 6 steps/tenants borrowed from the Oxford Group:

We admitted we were licked.
We got honest with ourselves.
We talked it over with another person.
We made amends to those we had harmed.
We tried to carry this message to others with no thought of reward.
We prayed to whatever God we thought there was.

Notice that the last tenant is the equivalent to step 11 here. IMO conscious contact with God is the pinnacle phase of any Spiritual development. I have gotten more results (Spiritual Awakenings) using step 11 than any other step.
Sure steps 1 and 12 and are what keeps me sober, but step 11 is where I get the most Spiritual growth from. Without step 11, I would say it is just an "end of drinking program". With step 11 it becomes and "end of suffering program".

"In this life - pain is inevitable - suffering is optional."

Only step 11 can make that happen for me.

DayTrader

For me it's 1....no question.

Not drinking for 6 yrs and I've probably got a decent grip on the fact that I can't drink but I see by watching my actions that I regularly forget "that my life has become unmanageable." In so many areas, even in working the rest of the steps, I see evidence of "my" program, taking some things / leaving the others that I don't like, think are too hard, or don't feel like doing. Over and over I'm still the actor who's trying to run the whole show.

From a lack of step 1 I see cut-corners on step 2.... "Well, since I'm not powerless in THIS area of my life I don't REALLY need God here so I'll just manage this section on my own and USE God for the other parts that are objectionable.

With a weak 1 and 2......of course I'll have a weak step 3 experience......and so on down through the rest of the steps.

UncleMeat69

Good point. That is why the Maintenance Steps (10-12) are so crucial.
When I fail to work them on a regular basis it is easy to fall into a state
of "smug complacency" and start cutting corners.
The BB warns me that alcohol is a "subtle foe" and my recovery relies
on staying in "fit spiritual condition."
My sponsor said you stay in fit spiritual by doing 10, 11 & 12 on a regular
basis, especially the 5 parts of the 10th. Step.