Multiple 4th Steps?

Question: What is the Big Book's position on doing multiple 4th Steps?

Answer: The Big Book only describes doing Steps 1-9 as something done once. Steps 10-12 are described as an ongoing process - "The Spiritual Life."

Done regularly any new amends that need to be made or character defects to be dealt with will be handled in the course of practicing Step 10. As told in The Promises the burden of alcoholism is typically lifted from us by Steps 1-9 and it would seem there would be no reason to repeat them if the solution has already been found.

So the book's position would seem to be to do Step 4 once to the best of your ability and then revisit our defects and inventory every day in the practice of Step 10.

The idea of doing the Steps repeatedly is not found in the book, but the book also says that "Our book is meant to be suggestive only. We realize we know only a little. God will constantly disclose more to you and to us."

Some will argue the idea of doing the steps multiple times is one of these new realizations of how to get the most benefit out of The Steps.