Advice for keeping a Step Journal? Sponsor believes in a writing assignment for each step.

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I needed a journal to remember what my sponsor told me during our meetings, and in the end it turned into an invaluable tool. I’ve done the steps a few times with a few different sponsors, and for me, there is intense power when pen connects with paper 📝.

Some steps have a definite writing component (4, 8 and 10, per the book), but I’ve heard some other super helpful suggestions for the other steps as well. For example:

Step 1: Write down examples of when drinking made your life unmanageable.

Step 2: Write a description of your Higher Power.

Step 6: List the character defects you would like your HP to remove.

Etc. I have a whole step study guide I can share if anyone is interested, though I recommend following your sponsors guidance to go through the steps.

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Your sponsor doesn't have specific advice for keeping your step journal? It really depends on what step you're on and what they want you to write about. The most obvious one is the 4thh step, but I've had sponsors in the past who wanted to me to write an entire history of my drinking and using for step 1. So I'd just ask your sponsor what their expectations or recommendations are for each step and go from there. Also, I just use a spiral bound notebook, doesn't need to be fancy.

I keep a journal, but I never did a step journal. However, journaling has been really helpful for me and my recovery. Especially when I have complicated thoughts that I'm struggling to get out. I don't journal every single day, just when I need it to work through things. Or when I'm having a particularly hard time.

I am not diligent in keeping a journal but I do some sporadic Journaling and I find it very helpful to organize my thoughts and MAKE SURE I understand a step. It's really interesting to refer back to. Can literally see the change in my thinking and progress.

Check Amazon, they have journals for everything, belive me I make them. If you can't find one let me know and I will make one for you

Honestly I add fun little stickers and things to my page and making it fun seems to help me to actually do it. I order fun stickers and washi tape and it makes it something I actually look forward to.

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