A.A. CONCEPTS AND VOCABULARY
First things first
An A.A. slogan about order: protect sobriety first, then meet the rest of life from that steadier ground.
The slogan in one sentence
Put the condition for recovery ahead of the problems competing for attention
Official A.A. material presents “First Things First” as a practical slogan. It does not say that other responsibilities are unimportant. It says that recovery must not be displaced by the noise, urgency, and confusion surrounding it.
A usable order of attention
Three places to begin
The slogan is short because its work is immediate: make the order visible before trying to solve everything else.
Protect sobriety
The first concern is the one that makes every later concern possible: do not take the first drink today.
Recover clarity
When everything feels equally urgent, the slogan restores an order in which the next right concern can be seen.
Address what follows
Other responsibilities are not erased. They are approached after the foundation of sobriety has been kept in view.
The logic of the phrase
A priority is not a dismissal
“First” does not mean “only.” It establishes sequence. The slogan asks what must be protected first so that the remaining work can be met with more honesty and steadiness.
What the slogan guards against
Letting urgency choose the order
Life can present several demands at once. “First things first” gives A.A.’s recovery priority a place in that crowded field. The slogan is not an excuse to avoid responsibility; it is a reminder not to sacrifice the foundation of sobriety while responding to everything else.
Official A.A. material
Read the primary sources
The slogan and its use here are grounded only in official A.A. pages and literature.