A sassy (but spiritually grounded) Step 4–5 workbook for anyone who wants freedom in 2026.
If you’re starting the New Year with “I want to be better,” I have excellent news: you don’t need a personality transplant. You need a plan. And maybe… a place to put your emotional receipts besides your nervous system. That’s why I created Receipts & Recovery, a printable + fillable Step 4–5 inventory workbook supplement designed for anyone working a 12-step program and craving structure, clarity, and momentum.
Because let’s be honest.
New Year’s resolutions are cute.
But freedom is a better goal.
Why Step 4 & 5 Are the Real New Year Reset
If you’ve been in recovery for any amount of time, you already know the vibe:
- You can go to meetings
- You can “do the work” in theory
- You can talk about emotional sobriety
- You can even meditate and drink green juice
…but if you’re carrying resentments, fears, and old stories around like it’s your job?
You don’t need a resolution.
You need a release.
Steps 4 and 5 are where recovery gets real, not because you’re “bad,” but because you’re human. Step 4 is the inventory. Step 5 is the honesty. Together, they turn vague discomfort into measurable change.
The only problem? Step 4 can feel like trying to clean your house while everyone you’ve ever dated is texting you. So I built something that makes it more doable.
Introducing: Receipts & Recovery
Receipts & Recovery is a guided workbook to help you work through Step 4 inventories (resentments, fears, relationships, harms) and prepare for Step 5 in a way that’s structured, spiritually grounded, and not soul-crushing. This is perfect for a 12-step person who aims to take inventory annually.
It’s designed to work with any 12-step program and includes both a printable version (for handwriting) and a fillable version (for typing).
Yes, it’s a little sassy.
No, it’s not disrespectful.
Because humor doesn’t minimize recovery. It makes it survivable.
What’s inside (aka, what you’re actually paying for)
This isn’t just a couple of worksheets slapped into a PDF and called “healing.”
Receipts & Recovery includes:
✅ Step 1–3 grounding (because Step 4 without Step 3 is self-will with a clipboard)
✅ Step 4 inventory pages for:
- resentments
- fears
- relationships/sex conduct
- harms to others and self
✅ Pattern-pull pages (so you can connect the dots and see your themes)
✅ Step 5 prep pages (safety + how to structure your share)
✅ Bonus: Steps 8–9 amends planning
✅ Maintenance tools for Steps 10–11 (because the point is to stay free)
✅ A Print-Me Library so you can print only what you need
It’s 115 pages of structure, support, and spiritual common sense.
Why this is the perfect New Year’s resolution purchase
Because the New Year tends to bring out one of two energy types:
- New Year, new me! (high hope, low plan)
- I’ll start next week. (low hope, high avoidance)
This workbook is built for the third, superior option:
New Year, same me… but I’m doing things differently.
If your resolution is any of the following:
- “I want peace.”
- “I want emotional sobriety.”
- “I don’t want to keep repeating the same patterns.”
- “I’m ready to stop letting my past run my present.”
- “I want to be less reactive.”
- “I want to do the steps, for real this time.”
Then this workbook is for you.
Because Step 4 isn’t about beating yourself up. It’s about stopping the loop. And Step 5 isn’t about humiliation. It’s about freedom through honesty.
New Year’s resolutions fail when we aim for perfection.
Recovery works when we aim for willingness.
Real talk: Who this workbook is NOT for
If you’re looking for:
- a quick fix
- anyone who doesn’t already have a handle on Steps 1, 2, and 3
- a “manifest your way out of accountability” journal
- a workbook that tells you everything is everyone else’s fault
- or something that replaces therapy, meetings, or support
This isn’t it.
Receipts & Recovery is a tool, not a miracle.
It’s designed to be used with a sponsor or trusted support person when possible, and it’s meant to help you do the work honestly, safely, and with a little laughter along the way. Fun fact: other “themes or versions” will be available in the Etsy shop soon.
So… why call it Receipts & Recovery?
Because Step 4 is basically:
- “Here’s what happened.”
- “Here’s how I felt.”
- “Here’s my part.”
- “Here’s what I’m ready to change.”
That’s receipts. That’s truth. That’s inventory.
And recovery is what happens when we stop hiding and start healing.
Where to get it
Receipts & Recovery is available now on Etsy in The Sober Curator shop.
It includes both:
- a printable PDF (for handwriting – which is what I highly recommend)
- and a fillable PDF (for typing)
And yes, you can three-hole punch it and put it in a binder, like the organized spiritual icon you are becoming. Go wild and buy that Trapper Keeper you’ve been eyeing at Amazon and stock up on Lisa Frank stickers, because why not?!?
One last thing
If this is the year you stop saying:
- “I’ll do Step 4 when I’m ready.”
- “I don’t have time.”
- “I don’t know where to start.”
- “I’m afraid of what I’ll find.”
- “I’m fin.e”
…and you start saying:
“I’m willing.”
Then this workbook will meet you there.
Happy New Year.
Now go do the next right thing. ????
???? Shop Receipts & Recovery on Etsy: TheSoberCurator/Etsy
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A STOIC SOBRIETY: Step 5 Guide – Admitting Wrongs & Finding Freedom
SOBER POP CULTURE at The Sober Curator is where mainstream trends meet the vibrant world of sobriety. We serve up a mix of movie, podcast, fashion, and book recommendations alongside alcohol-free cocktails, celebrity features, and pop culture buzz—all with a sober twist.
We’re here to shatter the “sobriety is boring” myth with a mash-up of 80s neon, 90s hip-hop edge, early 2000s bling, and today’s hottest trends. From celebrity shoutouts to red-carpet style inspo, this is where sober is as chic as it is fun. To the celebs using their platform for good—our Sober Pop Trucker hats are off to you!
Resources Are Available
If you or someone you know is experiencing difficulties surrounding alcoholism, addiction, or mental illness, please reach out and ask for help. People everywhere can and want to help; you just have to know where to look. And continue to look until you find what works for you. Click here for a list of regional and national resources.
All the cool kids go to rehab…
Resources Are Available
If you or someone you know is experiencing difficulties surrounding alcoholism, addiction, or mental illness, please reach out and ask for help. People everywhere can and want to help; you just have to know where to look. And continue to look until you find what works for you. Click here for a list of regional and national resources.
