Do I put AA first?
I first of all establish my home group. The group must be the strongest available, with the greatest commitment to service amongst its members, and the best substantive content in terms of discussion of the steps. Once I have a home group, I go unless I am out of town or ill. I do not miss it for the theatre, or birthday parties, tiredness, fear, resentment, reluctance, or social or entertainment reasons. Occasionally family commitments are permitted to override this group commitment, but if this occurs more than occasionally I need to restructure.
Next, I establish my service assignments. Preferably, I will have a service assignment at group level and one in general service. Group level service assignments are non-negotiable in terms of attendance in the way that home group attendance is. When I have a general service assignment, I work out all the dates over the coming year that require my attendance and block out my diary. I make sure I do not book holidays or other activities to coincide with the service assignment dates.
Once the home group commitment and my service assignments are entered into my calendar, everything else gets fitted around them.
Once these non-negotiables are established, other activities take priority over each other based on the merits. Sometimes the AA opportunity takes precedence, sometimes the work one, sometimes the family or social one. AA is about discharging all obligations adequately, not AA always pulling rank, provided, that is, that the AA non-negotiables, which establish certainty of continued sobriety, are in place.
I first of all establish my home group. The group must be the strongest available, with the greatest commitment to service amongst its members, and the best substantive content in terms of discussion of the steps. Once I have a home group, I go unless I am out of town or ill. I do not miss it for the theatre, or birthday parties, tiredness, fear, resentment, reluctance, or social or entertainment reasons. Occasionally family commitments are permitted to override this group commitment, but if this occurs more than occasionally I need to restructure.
Next, I establish my service assignments. Preferably, I will have a service assignment at group level and one in general service. Group level service assignments are non-negotiable in terms of attendance in the way that home group attendance is. When I have a general service assignment, I work out all the dates over the coming year that require my attendance and block out my diary. I make sure I do not book holidays or other activities to coincide with the service assignment dates.
Once the home group commitment and my service assignments are entered into my calendar, everything else gets fitted around them.
Once these non-negotiables are established, other activities take priority over each other based on the merits. Sometimes the AA opportunity takes precedence, sometimes the work one, sometimes the family or social one. AA is about discharging all obligations adequately, not AA always pulling rank, provided, that is, that the AA non-negotiables, which establish certainty of continued sobriety, are in place.