The main text of Alcoholics Anonymous, or "The Big Book" as AA members call it, goes step by step through 12 distinct phases, each crucial in achieving sustainable recovery from addiction.
Each step centers around a phrase, many of them invoking the ideas of God or a "higher power" who guides the recovering addict in various facets of their journey into sobriety.
The Big Book also outlines the 12 AA principles, which are single words encompassing the virtues needed to pass each step. Because these 12 steps of AA are single words, they can be interpreted in a much broader sense, which can be useful for those in recovery who don't feel like the steps are speaking to them directly, for example, those who aren't religious.
Here is a breakdown of the principles that match up with each step and how to practice them in a way that helps you create sustainable sobriety within the tenets of AA and NA.