You might not know much about AA – Alcoholics Anonymous – but you will appreciate their 12 step program for recovery – especially if you are addicted to ‘start-ups’ as a ‘SERIAL’ entrepreneur!
The AA movement has several key facets which have greatly helped members, and the organization, succeed better than any recovery program. Essentially the program relies on the philosophy of faith in a ‘HIGHER POWER’. Think of this like the farmer diligently planting his fields. After all the work of tilling and planting, he still must accept that a higher power will finish what he can’t do – bring the rain, and germinate the seeds. The farmer co-operates - in faith.
Another fundamental part is that the program relies on the ‘POWER OF THE GROUP’. One of the best ways to help people change is as a part of a supportive group, rather than treating people individually. This is called Peer Support.
“Members find the group to be a compelling emotional experience; they develop close bonds with the other members and are deeply influenced by their acceptance and feedback The more deeply AA members commit to the group, rather than just the program, the better they fare.”
Addiction-medicine specialists often raise the concern that AA meetings aren’t led by professionals. But there is evidence that this may actually help foster a sense of intimacy between members, since the fundamental relationship is between members, and not between members and a therapist.”
“numerous studies show that AA members who become involved in activities like sponsorship – mentoring someone just starting out – are more likely to stay sober than those who simply attend meetings.”
“When members share their emotionally searing tales…they develop new levels of self-awareness. That process invigorates the prefrontal cortex, a part of the brain that is weakened by alcohol abuse.”
Wired Article June 2010
Remember the idea that by increasing your vocabulary that you are more able to master your emotions? By building neural connections between your amygdale (your emotional ‘black-box’) and your DLPFC (higher reasoning) you build new electrical pathways (habits) which replace less effective ones. In other words; while sharing your enterprising experience in a MENtrepreneurs group, your brain produces dopamine, which is a primary chemical in your head that makes you feel good – just like sex does. In authentic AA small group meetings, the members trade their addiction to alcohol for healthy dopamine excretion through interactions and emotionally rich vocabulary building practices (public speaking).
As with any self-help program, inauthentic members will figure out ways to ‘get what they want’ without actually committing or becoming transparent. Lot’s of people bitch about what AA did NOT do FOR them. The statement itself reveals the actual scotoma – THEY failed, NOT the program. The process of working one’s issues out is voluntary and self-disciplined – which has a challenge at the core – if one’s brain is so messed up by habit and addiction, then how difficult is it to pick oneself up by his bootstraps? The answer is that it’s slightly less challenging in a group than doing it alone. Thus; Power of the Group.
Our suggestion is that if you’ve been a ‘serial entrepreneur’ starting numerous enterprises that rarely, if ever, pay off, then we’ve got a great program for you! Similar to AA, YOU will put in the effort learning and sharing, but we’ve made a way through the wilderness for you and you don’t have to go it alone. Try out the Forum! Introduce yourself and your topic.
The original Twelve Steps as published by Alcoholics Anonymous:
We admitted we were powerless over alcohol—that our lives had become unmanageable.
Came to believe that a Power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity.
Made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God as we understood Him.
Made a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves.
Admitted to God, to ourselves, and to another human being the exact nature of our wrongs.
Were entirely ready to have God remove all these defects of character.
Humbly asked Him to remove our shortcomings.
Made a list of all persons we had harmed, and became willing to make amends to them all.
Made direct amends to such people wherever possible, except when to do so would injure them or others.
Continued to take personal inventory and when we were wrong promptly admitted it.
Sought through prayer and meditation to improve our conscious contact with God as we understood Him, praying only for knowledge of His will for us and the power to carry that out.
Having had a spiritual awakening as the result of these steps, we tried to carry this message to alcoholics, and to practice these principles in all our affairs.
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