Day #7.
CCD #435 (since January 2020).

Thanks to everyone for "thanking" my posts. I have been really busy today and yesterday and staying clean was a breeze. Not so on Tuesday. That was a hard day!

I joined GYE in January 2020 and, at the time, I was out of the house at a job 3-4 days a week, the other day or two was with my other job, and Shabbos and Sunday were with my family. I had a long clean streak going and then my life (our lives) changed drastically with the first COVID lockdown in March. My schedule changed and I have basically been working from home/going to school from home since. I have very little in the way of schedule (that is going to change soon, iy"h).

Going to school online is both a blessing and a curse. On one hand, it is more affordable and more flexible for a working professional. On the other hand, I am in front of the computer so much more than I would like to be. If I am more on top of things, I print out materials and try to do everything with a pen and paper and then type it up afterwards. Just to say away from the screen. I use a filtered machine, but being in front of a screen with all of the distractions for so many hours is just not a good way to stay "clean."

My hope is that with a new schedule, more productivity, and less idle time in front of screen, that the struggle will be easier for me. Busy for me = היסח הדעת.

Day #12
CCD #440

Day #14.

Posting for accountability. There were a number of times in these two weeks where I would've been a goner had it not been for my participation in GYE and especially the challenge.

Day #16.

Day #18.

Day #20.

Day #23.

With gratitude to the Ribbono Shel Olam, I want to let everyone know that I accepted a job offer the other day. In another month I will have a schedule that forces me to get up and get out for a large part of the day. My hope is that when I actually am home, I will be much more focused on my other responsibilities and interests.

The one downside for these inyanim is that I will be carrying around a company tablet that I can't imagine will have any filtering software. I don't think that it will be an insurmountable challenge, but I recognize that it is something to think about.

Thanks everyone for reading my posts and "thanking."

Can it have Webchaver?

Hashem Help Me wrote on 30 May 2021 20:42:

I'll let you know in a month, but I hear the מהלך. Even if I can't filter, I can at least have some accountability through the usage reports. I'll have to see what user permissions I have when I get the device.

Webchaver has been a successful deterrent for many guys here. Also, is it a given that it can't be filtered. Some guys who were initially told by the office that filters were not an option, have had the courage to explain to their employers that they do not want the constant nisayon, and were allowed filters.

Hashem Help Me wrote on 31 May 2021 11:31:

If I can use it however I like, I'll put GenTech on it. That has worked wonders for me on my device. I'll have to wait and see what I get and how much control I have when I get the new device.

Thanks for the tip.

Day #25.

Day #27. Nothing more to say!

שבע יפול צדיק וקם wrote on 03 Jun 2021 18:10:

The best way!

Day #30.

On GYE, at 30 days one receives the "Level 5: גבור כח עושה דברו" badge. This reminded me about something that I posted about before and that I'd like to post about again.

Filtering devices does not equal weakness. It is not a sign that the person is sick and twisted. On the contrary, putting a filter on a device is a sign of גבור כח עושה דברו, it is a sign of strength. Temptation is just that. It tempts us. Choosing to block it out is a choice coming from a place of strength and integrity.

I'll add that, based on my experience of the GYE forum, I am not as frum as many of the users on this forum. It seems, based on my read of this forum, that I allow more non-Jewish and secular stuff and entertainment into my home than many of the users on this forum. I am writing that because I want to stress that filtering one's devices doesn't have to be looked at as a "super frummy yeshivish" thing. It is the right thing to do for anyone who doesn't want temptation inside the home and, in my opinion, that should be the case for everyone on this forum.