What is a character defect?
A belief, a thinking pattern, or a behaviour that is not for the good of all.
Let's look at behaviour.
How does my behaviour change via Steps Six and Seven?
There are two types of behaviour: deliberate behaviour based on my decisions, and involuntary behaviour stemming from my state of mind.
How I structure my life, my year, my month, my week, my day, literally what I do with my time, is down to my decision-making. If that is led by God not ego, it will be right. Change is not gradual, although the manifestation may take time to flower. Change takes place fully and instantly. If my character defect is that I do not give money to charity, as soon as I set up a direct debit for the requisite value to be paid weekly or monthly, the defect has been fully and instantly removed. If my defect is that I have a self-serving rather than a God-serving career, that change can take a little time to implement, but the decision to start the process of switching can be implemented instantly today, and in that moment the character defect is fully and permanently removed, because I have taken a new direction. When I gave up smoking, I gave it up entirely. The change was instant. The change has been permanent.
Regarding involuntary behaviour: I can be really insufferable. I can be critical, bad-tempered, reactive, inappropriately controlling, shrill, contemptuous, arrogant, etc. These all manifest as behaviours. These behaviours are not the result of structural decision-making: they're the result of my status in the moment.
When I'm in an ego state, all of these behavioural character defects are available and are likely to be operative.
If I'm in a God state, none of these behavioural character defects are available, and none can become operative.
I'm either in one state or the other. There is no mixing and matching.
What is a God state? One in which my identity, value, and purpose are entirely aligned with God. I am God's child, I am of infinite value because I exist, and I am here just to do God's work, cheerfully and kindly.
In this case, change takes place gradually, in that I remember more and more often to return to the God state. But, once I'm in that God state, the character defects are eliminated fully and instantly.
In both cases, the question is only one of willingness. Willingness is binary. Either I am willing or I am not. If I am unwilling at all, I am entirely unwilling. If I am 1% unwilling to turn the light on, that is enough to remain in the dark. Once I am 100% willing to turn the light on, the light can be turned on fully and instantly.