I almost failed today.
I'll tell you what helped.
I read:
guardyoureyes.com/articles/tips-suggestions/item/the-science-of-habit-change?onepage=1
I also thought about calling someone on the helpline...and almost did.
This article about the nature of HABITS and HOW to break them is fantastic!
It will take re-reading it and implementing the steps in my life to discover how to break MY bad habits.
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I read the post twice that you suggested, and I think it would be great to know HOW to give it up in my heart one day at a time, as opposed to resisting one day at a time. This is not discussed or explained.
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Also, just as an aside: I strongly disagree that HaShem considers that you have already sinned, knowing that you will sin (let's say) in 5 weeks. Only for mitzvahs does HaShem consider machshava k'maaseh...NOT for aveiras! And if you hold out for 5 weeks and then sin, HaShem rewards those 5 weeks tremendously and they are as precious to Him as doing positive mitzvahs. It's not at all as if he has done/accomplished nothing, just because HaShem knew he would eventually sin in 5 weeks. That's ridiculous and wrong.
Here is the part of the post I'm referring to:
When B'nei Yisroel (on Rosh chodesh Nissan) went to take the korban Pesach (in four more days!) Hashem writes: "
And Bn"Y went and did as Moshe commanded them." Rashi brings that they went with the intention, knowing that come the 10th of Nissan, they'd take the goat/lamb, and come the 14th, they'd shecht it, etc. In their hearts, it was a done deal. So from right then, Hashem says He considers it that
they already did it all!.
Sadly, the converse is also true. We all know in our hearts that we cannot hold our breath forever. So, as inspired as we may be to hold our breath and resist getting that sweet orgasm/fantasy/porn joy we need...we are fully-aware that we
are eventually gonna pop. We have not given it up at all, see it as an eventual necessity, and a masculine right. The only guarantee, then, is that we
will need to act out when the maximum tolerance of # days clean is reached. So from the truth (Hashem's) perspective, it is as though they already masturbated.