The reason my first few years in AA were so bumpy is arguably because I signed up for only as much of the deal as would get me sober and get me what I wanted in life. If more were asked: no, siree. I am busy, and I have interests.
The Big Book is pretty clear, though. It's an all-or-nothing deal. Midway always drifts towards nothing with time, unless the drift is arrested.
Here are some quotes to make the commitment clear.
A good exercise is to ask myself if I'm willing to do these ten things (which are a representative sample of what the AA programme offers):
'It meant destruction of self-centeredness. I must turn in all things to the Father of Light who presides over us all.' (Page 14)
'For if an alcoholic failed to perfect and enlarge his spiritual life through work and self-sacrifice for others, he could not survive the certain trials and low spots ahead.' (Pages 14–15)
'All of us spend much of our spare time in the sort of effort which we are going to describe.' [The sort of effort = twelfth-stepping and sponsorship] (Page 19)
'When we became alcoholics, crushed by a self-imposed crisis we could not postpone or evade, we had to fearlessly face the proposition that either God is everything or else He is nothing. God either is, or He isn’t. What was our choice to be?' (Page 53)
'Above everything, we alcoholics must be rid of this selfishness. We must, or it kills us! God makes that possible.' (Page 62)
'We subjected each relation to this test—was it selfish or not?' (Page 69)
'Our real purpose is to fit ourselves to be of maximum service to God and the people about us.' (Page 77)
'Every day is a day when we must carry the vision of God’s will into all of our activities. "How can I best serve Thee—Thy will (not mine) be done." These are thoughts which must go with us constantly.' (Page 85)
'Giving, rather than getting, will become the guiding principle.' (Page 128)