What if the 12 Steps Weren’t Just for Addiction?
Have you ever considered using the 12 Steps—not for addiction recovery—but as a guide for personal growth, healing, and spiritual development?
I have. And it changed my life.
I was introduced to the 12 Steps not as someone in recovery, but as the parent of a child walking that road. My son got sober at 14 years old. Today, at 21, he’s thriving—living his dream as a musician and using his 12 steps skills everyday in so many aspects of his life.
There are at least 12 separate blog posts I could write about how that journey shaped our family, and how the 12 Steps have helped me show up more fully as my authentic self. (Or at least keep striving for it, one day at a time!)
The 12 Steps as a Framework for "Let Me"
If you’ve read The Let Them Theory by Mel Robbins, you know it’s about releasing control and honoring your own peace. The 12 Steps are a deeper, more actionable version of that theory. They don’t just help you “let them”—they help you focus on the “let me”:
Let me reflect.
Let me heal.
Let me live as my truest self..
Recently, two books have reframed the 12 Steps as tools for anyone seeking growth, not just those in addiction recovery.
The Fix by Ian Morgan Cron
Steps by John Ortberg
I’m currently working through the steps again, following The Fix, and using it’s companion workbook. What I’m focusing on right now? Curbing my spending.
The Pattern I’m Working On
Over the years, I developed a habit: If I want something, I buy it. After all, I’ve worked hard to get where I am. But recently I’ve begun to question that pattern.
What’s the cost of constant consumption?
What am I trying to satisfy?
And what does it look like to do more with less?
As an Enneagram practitioner, I’ve dug deep into my own motivations. I understand why this habit formed—and I also understand that awareness alone doesn’t change behavior.
That’s where the 12 Steps come in. They help me face the fear of letting go, and remind me that peace isn’t found by ignoring something—it’s found in surrender.
A Path to Purpose, Peace, and Resilience
For me, the 12 Steps were the beginning of a lifelong journey toward purpose, peace, and resilience. They taught me that freedom lives on the other side of letting go. That we find clarity not by holding tighter, but by opening up.
So let me ask you:
What in your life is keeping you from peace?
What patterns are no longer serving you?
Is it time to let something go?
Want to explore how the 12 Steps can support your own personal growth journey?
I’m working on new resources for exactly that. Click here to be the first to receive guided reflections, tools, and invitations to go deeper.
Your next right step might be simpler than you think. Let’s take it together.