10 Timeless AA Slogans: What They Really Mean
10 Timeless AA Slogans: What They Really Mean

RAW Recovery Podcast

Dion breaks down ten well-known AA slogans, sharing their origins and how they can guide practical recovery choices. The conversation also clears up common misconceptions about sayings people assume come from AA.

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39:09•6 Jul 2026

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AA Slogans Without the Fluff: What They Really Mean in Recovery

Episode Overview

Slogans are meant as quick spiritual reminders, not replacements for the Big Book or the 12 steps.
“One Day at a Time” and “Easy Does It” encourage living in the present and breaking tasks and recovery into manageable chunks.
“First Things First” means putting recovery and self-care ahead of other demands, as a foundation for everything else.
“Think, think, think” helps Alcoholics pause, think consequences through, and avoid impulsive reactions or drinking.
Many popular phrases like “Progress, not perfection” and “Meeting makers make it” are widely used but are not AA slogans or found in AA literature.

“Recovery is like eating an elephant, and there's only one way to eat an elephant, and that is a bite at a time.”

Curious about how others manage their sobriety journey? This Daily Trudge instalment of the RAW Recovery Podcast zooms in on ten classic AA slogans and what they actually mean in day-to-day recovery. Dion, the host, mixes lived experience, AA history and a bit of bad-coffee humour to make the sayings on the meeting-room walls feel far less cheesy and far more practical.

You’ll hear how phrases like "One Day at a Time" grew out of 19th-century Christian writing and why Alcoholics latched onto the idea of a daily reprieve. "Easy Does It" and "First Things First" are broken down into simple, real-life actions: do one load of laundry instead of tackling the whole pile, or put your recovery ahead of everything else because "my recovery has got to come first". Dion also tackles slogans people often misunderstand or dislike.

"Let Go and Let God" is linked to Step Three and the danger of using it as an excuse to avoid doing what your intuition tells you, like helping a newcomer. "Think, think, think" becomes a tool for pausing before sending that angry text or picking up a drink: "Think the drink through" and ask what happens if you *don’t* react right now. There’s plenty of myth-busting too. "Progress, not perfection"?

Dion argues AA actually points to "progress through perfection" and challenges people to claim their growth: "I worked really fucking hard to get there. And I deserve the accolades." He also points out that popular lines like "Meeting makers make it" and "Fake it till you make it" aren’t AA slogans or literature at all.

Throughout, the tone stays raw, honest and non-judgemental, making this episode a handy listen if you’ve ever rolled your eyes at a slogan or felt they were "telling you what to do". Maybe it’s time to pick one that actually helps you through today—so which slogan rings true for you right now?

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