Before I was in Al-Anon, I was sure it was my job to get my alcoholic husband to stop drinking. I thought it was my job to control everything: the household and the finances. I made excuses for him. I knew everything would be great if he just stopped drinking. He finally hit bottom, and so did I. He went to rehab and took recovery seriously.
Thanks to Al-Anon, I discovered I was handling it all wrong and that by taking control of everything, I had made him feel worthless. I had hurt his feelings. We both started working on our programs, and what a difference it has made to use the tools of the Twelve Steps, the slogans, and the literature. We are continually growing through our programs now. We are both so glad to know we don’t have to be perfect. I love the slogan “Progress Not Perfection.” Alcoholics Anonymous and Al-Anon have saved our lives.
By Leslie R.
The Forum, August 2025
Feel free to reprint this article on your service arm website or newsletter, along with this credit line: Reprinted with permission of The Forum, Al-Anon Family Group Headquarters, Inc., Virginia Beach, Virginia, USA.
Yes, “Progress Not Perfection.” Coming from a home of alcoholic parents, I felt that if something was to get done, I had to do it and do it with perfection. Little did I know that until I was in Al-Anon, I hadn’t even considered the Slogan: “Progress Not Perfection.” It has made my life so much easier. In fact, I volunteered to be Secretary of our Al-Anon Family Group. Whenever I felt that maybe I was not doing my duties right, I would tell myself “Progress Not Perfection.” That slogan has helped be more reasonable with myself and calm. Also,… Read more »