Step 6:

We are entirely ready for God to remove all these defects of character

You can tell this is much trickier than it seems, and it was confirmed by a quote from the PDF: "This is the step that separates men from boys".

Defects of character are tied to your ego. You believe yourself to be self-sufficient, independent and different from the rest of people. This is not the defect, the defect arises from this belief. In order for the higher power [pure awareness for me] to do its job, you need to cease believing this about yourself.

As you meditate you gain distance from that voice in your head that is continuously reaffirming who you are. It's radio ego's propaganda station. You eventually come to understand: there is something inside of you that's reinforcing a narrative that no longer serves you. The belief is neutered by awareness, and not removed by displacing it with a different belief.

So Step Six—"We're entirely ready to have God remove all these defects of character"—is A.A.'s way of stating the best possible attitude one can take in order to make a beginning on this lifetime job.

This will be a lifetime job indeed. You will always be in recovery.

What we must recognize now is that we exult in some of our defects. We really love them. Who, for example, doesn't like to feel just a little superior to the next fellow, or even quite a lot superior? Isn't it true that we like to let greed masquerade as ambition? To think of liking lust seems impossible. But how many men and women speak love with their lips, and believe what they say, so that they can hide lust in a dark corner of their minds? And even while staying within conventional bounds, many people have to admit that their imaginary sex excursions are apt to be all dressed up as dreams of romance.

So true it hurts.

Some people may conclude that they are indeed ready to have all such defects taken from them. But even these people, if they construct a list of still milder defects, will be obliged to admit they prefer to hang on to some of them.

You may find comfort in your defects and come to identify with them.

It is suggested that we ought to become entirely willing to aim towards perfection. We not that some delay, however, may be pardoned.

Perfection is a direction. not a destination. Let's walk in that direction.