Welcome to the Old-Timer Resource Center
As a Hazelden author with over 56 years of continuous sobriety, my purpose is simple: to pass on the practical wisdom that was freely given to me by the “Old-Timers” who knew how to stay sober, one day at a time.
This page is designed as a working toolkit. Below, you’ll find a rotating set of free recovery tools you can download and use immediately whether you’re a newcomer, a sponsor, a parent, or a treatment professional. Each resource is based on a book or tool from the Oldtimers. If something here helps you, you’ll find a direct link to the full book or source so you can purchase it.
If you’d like access to all our FREE 12 Step/Recovery library resources, we maintain an expanding collection in the free section of our store. You are charged $0 for any of these resources. AND ONE SMALL REQUEST If these materials are useful to you or the people you serve, please consider leaving a brief, honest review on Amazon. It helps others find us.
Scroll down and find what you can use today.
What can you learn with 50+ years sobriety?
Year by Year Lessons in Recovery Handout
The Resource (Free):
They say that we can learn from other people's mistakes or we can be the other people. This exercise is designed for 12 Step sponsors or for use in treatment groups to gain insight into program growth. Understanding recovery deepens over time—what you're sure about at one year will likely evolve at five, twenty, and fifty years sober. Humility, tolerance, and teachability are essential. Let's gain insight into growth and why we shouldn't judge our fellow travelers on the road to recovery.
The Source (Book):
How to Become an Oldtimer: Don't Drink and Don't Die: Suit up, Show up, Sit up, Shut up, and Listen. Buy from AMAZON or DIRECT for the best deals
If you benefit from this work, would you consider leaving an honest review on Amazon? It helps others find these tools. Direct link to leave a review on How to Become an Oldtimer
Pick a Great Topic for Tonight's Meeting
Guide for Picking a Fantastic 12-Step Meeting Topic
The Resource (Free):
Become a prepared group leader and use this topic starter tool. Download this Group Meeting Topic Tool, an alphabetical guide to spark a 12-Step discussion or find a group topic. These are specifically curated for 12-Step group leaders and members who want to encourage deep, meaningful (and often humorous) sharing during the 'discussion' portion of the meeting. Use these prompts for 12 Step meetings, therapy groups, or as a fun exercise for clients.
The Source (Book):
Walk Softly and Carry a Big Book, a staple in fellowship clubs, treatment center libraries, and intergroups for decades. Buy from AMAZON or DIRECT for the best deals.
If you benefit from this work, would you consider leaving an honest review on Amazon? It helps others find these tools. Direct link to leave a review on Walk Softly and Carry a Big Book
Coloring/Journaling Tool
Slogans Coloring: Tool for Insight & Serenity
The Resource (Free):
Early recovery often comes with high anxiety and a 'racing mind.' Download 3 free therapeutic coloring pages designed to help you practice 'The Next Right Thing' through creative focus. This is a proven tool for relapse prevention and stress management, perfect for staying grounded during long speaker meetings or quiet reflection at home. It's a simple way to 'sit in the middle' of the program while quieting the noise.
The Source (Book):
From the Color-Me-Sober book, combining the power of art therapy with 12-Step principles. From AMAZON or DIRECT for the best deals.
If you benefit from this work, would you consider leaving an honest review on Amazon? It helps others find these tools. Direct link to leave a review on Color-Me-Sober
Prepare for a Successful Sponsor/Sponsee Relationship
Preparing Clients for a Successful Sponsor/sponsee Relationship
The Resource (Free):
Working with a sponsor can be daunting for newcomers who fear being told what they don’t want to hear. Help prepare clients with the Pick a Sponsor's Pocket Exercise, a structured 12-Step group activity designed specifically for treatment centers and outpatient recovery groups. (Note: This clinical tool is intended for therapeutic settings, not for use in AA/NA meetings.)
The Source (App or Book):
Inspired by the Pocket Sponsor, providing instant 12-Step support for every hour of the day for 31 days. Tap the App for Instant support with the Pocket Sponsor App or buy the book from AMAZON.
If you benefit from this work, would you consider leaving an honest review on Amazon? It helps others find these tools. Direct link to leave a review on Pocket Sponsor
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Does God Wear Tennis Shoes? | Finding a Higher Power Together
A Spiritual Discovery Tool for 12-Step Families
The Resource (Free):
Help your child discover a Higher Power that is loving, present, and personal. The Higher Power Scavenger Hunt is a gentle, nature-based activity designed for 12-Step families. Instead of rigid dogma, this worksheet encourages children to "hunt" for qualities like kindness, strength, and beauty in the world around them. It’s a perfect tool for parents who want to guide their children’s spiritual growth with freedom, curiosity, and love.
The Source (Book):
Based on Does God Wear Tennis Shoes?, a 32-page picture book that follows 8-year-old Erica on her quest to find God in her own neighborhood. A "find-your-Higher-Power" read for kids ages 7–10. Available from AMAZON
If you benefit from this work, would you consider leaving an honest review on Amazon? It helps others find these tools. Direct link to leave a review on Does God Wear Tennis Shoes?
Biggest Symptom: DENIAL, but the Big Book Never Mentions Denial
How to help a newcomer understand their denial.
The Resource (Free):
In the world of recovery, "Denial" is the word we love to throw at people who aren't moving fast enough. We call it a "hallmark of the disease." We, lay people and professionals, treat it like a wall that needs to be battered down with "tough love" or "reality checks."
But here is a fascinating fact: The Big Book of Alcoholics Anonymous, the foundational text for 12-Step recovery, never uses the words "deny" or "denial" to describe the alcoholic’s condition. Not once. Here is a worksheet to help a newcomer observe their own denial.
The Source (Book):
Walk Softly and Carry a Big Book, a staple in treatment center libraries, there is every insightful quote on denial you can think of--very helpful. Buy from AMAZON or DIRECT for the best deals.
If you benefit from this work, would you consider leaving an honest review on Amazon? It helps others find these tools. Direct link to leave a review on Walk Softly and Carry a Big Book
Ask the Right Question
Ask the Right Question - Get the Right Answer
The Resource (Free):
Stop the "Why me?" cycle. In the first 30 days of sobriety, asking the wrong questions leads to self-pity and stagnation. The Ask the Right Question Worksheet is a cognitive reframing tool designed to shift your focus from problem-oriented thinking to solution-oriented action. Perfect for individual sponsors, treatment centers, and outpatient groups, this exercise helps newcomers move from feeling like a victim to taking responsibility for doing the next right thing.
The Source (Book):
Excerpted from the First 30 Days off Alcohol. Inspired by 12-Step Old-timers, this practical guide provides the structure and mindset shifts necessary to navigate the critical first month of sobriety. Buy from AMAZON or DIRECT for the best deals.
If you benefit from this work, would you consider leaving an honest review on Amazon? It helps others find these tools. Direct link to leave a review on First 30 Days off Alcohol.