Step Four Work Guide: How to Write a Thorough Moral Inventory

Before You Begin

The Fourth Step inventory is best done in writing — in a notebook, on paper, or in a private document. Set aside dedicated time for this work: many people find it helpful to work on their inventory in the morning, when the mind is fresh, for thirty to sixty minutes at a time. Do not try to complete the entire inventory in one sitting.

Before you begin, read the Fourth Step chapter in the Big Book ("How It Works" and the inventory instructions that follow). Talk to your sponsor about their approach to the inventory. Then begin.

Part One: The Resentment Inventory

Create a four-column table with the following headers:

1. I resent: (the person, institution, or principle)
2. The cause: (what they did or failed to do)
3. Affects my: (self-esteem, security, ambitions, personal/sexual relations, financial interests)
4. My part: (where was I selfish, dishonest, self-seeking, or frightened?)

List every resentment you can think of — people who have wronged you, institutions that have failed you, principles or situations that make you angry. Be thorough. Include resentments that seem petty or irrational. Include resentments toward people who are dead. Include resentments toward God, if you have them.

For each resentment, work through all four columns. The fourth column — "my part" — is the most important and the most difficult. Ask yourself honestly: Was I selfish? Was I dishonest? Was I self-seeking? Was I frightened? What did I do or fail to do that contributed to this situation?

Important: Identifying your part does not mean that the other person was not wrong. It means that you are looking at your own contribution to the situation, because that is the only part you can change.

Part Two: The Fear Inventory

Create a three-column table:

1. I am afraid of:
2. Why do I have this fear?
3. What does this fear say about my trust in my Higher Power?

List every fear you can identify — fears about the future, fears about other people's opinions, fears about your own inadequacy, fears about specific situations. Include fears that seem irrational. Include fears you have had for a long time and fears that are new.

Part Three: The Sexual Conduct Inventory

Review your sexual and romantic history, looking for patterns of behavior that were selfish, dishonest, or inconsiderate. For each significant relationship or incident, ask:

• Was I selfish? Did I use this person for my own gratification without genuine regard for their wellbeing?
• Was I dishonest? Did I deceive this person about my intentions, my feelings, or my circumstances?
• Was I inconsiderate? Did I disregard this person's feelings, needs, or boundaries?
• Did I cause harm? What was the harm, and to whom?

Part Four: Harms Done to Others

Beyond the resentment, fear, and sexual conduct inventories, make a general list of harms you have done to others — people you have hurt, lied to, stolen from, manipulated, or neglected. This list will form the basis of your Eighth Step list.

Completing the Inventory

When you have completed all four parts of the inventory, read it through from beginning to end. What patterns do you notice? What character defects appear most consistently? What surprises you? What are you most relieved to have written down?

Then call your sponsor and schedule your Fifth Step.

Common Challenges in Writing the Fourth Step

Several common challenges can make the Fourth Step difficult. Understanding them in advance can help you navigate them:

Perfectionism: Some people get stuck trying to write the "perfect" inventory — comprehensive, well-organized, and complete. The perfect inventory is the one you actually write. An imperfect inventory that is completed is far more valuable than a perfect inventory that is never finished. Write what you can, and trust that the process will reveal what needs to be revealed.

Shame: The Fourth Step requires writing about things that are deeply shameful — harms caused, behaviors that violated one's own values, secrets that have been carefully kept. The shame can make it difficult to write honestly. Remember that the purpose of the inventory is not to punish yourself but to understand yourself. Write with the compassion you would offer to a friend who was doing the same work.

Resentment toward the process: Some people resent the Fourth Step itself — they feel that it is unfair to have to examine their own behavior when others have harmed them. This resentment is understandable, but it is also a form of self-will. The Fourth Step is not about fairness; it is about freedom. The person who examines their own behavior honestly is the one who becomes free from the patterns that have driven their suffering.

Fear of what you will find: Some people are afraid of what their inventory will reveal — afraid that they are worse than they thought, or that their secrets are too terrible to face. In practice, most people find that the inventory is less terrible than they feared, and that the act of writing it down reduces its power rather than increasing it.

Tips for Staying on Track

Writing the Fourth Step can take weeks or months. Here are some practical tips for staying on track:

• Set a regular time each day or week for inventory work — even thirty minutes is enough to make progress
• Work with your sponsor regularly during the inventory process — check in at least weekly
• Do not wait until you feel ready — start writing, and the readiness will come
• If you get stuck, write about being stuck — what are you avoiding, and why?
• Remember that the Fourth Step is not the end — it is the beginning of the process that leads to freedom

What the Fourth Step Is Not

The Fourth Step is not a confession of sins to be punished. It is not a comprehensive accounting of every wrong you have ever done. It is not a document that will be shared with anyone other than your Fifth Step listener. And it is not a measure of your worth as a person.

The Fourth Step is a tool for self-understanding — a way of seeing clearly the patterns of thinking and behavior that have driven your addiction and your suffering, so that you can begin to change them. It is an act of courage and honesty in the service of freedom. Approach it with that spirit, and it will serve you well.