It took a while to complete the Steps after I joined AA. It was therefore a while before I experienced plain sailing: proceeding through life unencumbered with (a) resentment (b) secrets (c) guilt, because I had forgiven, disclosed, and amended.
I retake the first nine Steps once a quarter. There's only a fraction of the material that there used to be, and I've got the method pretty nailed, so it's quick. I'm vigilant about completing this process quickly, however, in a matter of hours or days at most. I do not let it drag on. Why? The ship is in dry-dock. I want to get back to sailing, and, to do that, I need to be seaworthy.