Recovery article

Step 6 of AA: Becoming Ready to Let Go of Your Defects

Step 6 is the quietest step — no action required. Just willingness. But genuine willingness to let go of your character defects is harder than it sounds.

Article summary

Step 6 is the quietest step — no action required. Just willingness. But genuine willingness to let go of your character defects is harder than it sounds.

Key topics include Step 6: "Were entirely ready to have God remove all these defects of character.", What Are Character Defects?, Why Willingness Is the Hard Part.

What this article covers

  • Step 6: "Were entirely ready to have God remove all these defects of character."
  • What Are Character Defects?
  • Why Willingness Is the Hard Part
  • Entirely Ready

Frequently asked questions

What is Step 6 of Alcoholics Anonymous?

Step 6 of AA is: "Were entirely ready to have God remove all these defects of character." It follows the inventory work of Steps 4 and 5, asking you to become genuinely willing to let go of the character defects — pride, fear, resentment, dishonesty — that drove your addiction.

What are character defects in AA?

Character defects in AA are the survival strategies that once served a purpose but became liabilities: fear that became controlling behavior, self-protection that became dishonesty, emotional pain that became resentment. Common defects include pride, fear, resentment, self-pity, dishonesty, selfishness, people-pleasing, perfectionism, and the need to control.

How do you work Step 6 if you are not entirely willing?

You do not have to be fully willing on day one. The step asks you to be willing to become willing. Identify the defects you are resistant to letting go of and bring that resistance honestly to your sponsor. Naming the resistance is itself a form of readiness.