Thats awesome! Kol hakavod!
I've found that thats always one of the hardest things to do (deleting the shmutz, not even talking about not looking while you do it #superhuman)
I know I'm in it for the long run when I clean it all out. Bh has been cleaned out for quite a while on my end now. 
May you have the strength to continue! 

Wow, amazing!

You are a GIBOR! Keep up the great work! Step by step by step!

What is your current goal you are working on and what steps are you taking?

Thank u realestatemogul! Honestly my goal (and I'm not sure rlly sure this qualifies as a goal) is not just to quit p and m but quit my addiction to the internet in general. Realistically tho, I'm setting about to abstain from p and m for the month of Adar. 

Steps:

• Installing filters on my devices
• Deleting anything that can cause me to fall from my phone
• Going straight to GYE site anytime I feel I'm about to fall
• Update my thread here regularly for added accountability
• Get a partner on the partner program to talk with

Open to any other ideas anyone has!

With such determination you will iyh succeed, dont get frustrated if you have some slips on the way, you will iyh get there. Those steps are major! Keep going strong!

Benoni wrote on 14 Feb 2021 21:07:

Here's a tip

Reward yourself if everything went well for a certain amount of time-- Doing this attaches a positive feeling and sense of accomplishment to a goal often associated with negative feelings. This in turn makes it much easier for the person to put in the effort needed to battle his yetzer hora. The reward need not be something large; it can even be a small item such as a pen, book, or certain food. Although this suggestion may sound a little simple, it could be very helpful.

This is takeh not a bad idea! I never thought to do this because I always figured abstaining from this aveira is so intrinsic to avodas Hashem that a person shouldn't have to reward themselves for not doing it. I realize now tho that this nisayon is no small feat to overcome and everytime we do overcome it, Hashem could not be more proud of us- thus a reward for doing so is well-deserved.

Practically speaking, how often should I reward myself if I'm matsliach?

Btw everyone, even if I didn't respond to ur comments directly, just know I could not be more grateful for your support!

I would suggest to celebrate every milestone you set for yourself, and also when you have a special accomplishment, like when you erased all that photos, or after a strong urge resisted.
Either way, the more the merrier! We should all be celebrating and cherishing our accomplishments! Positive reinforcement goes a long way.
It's also a good idea to share the celebration with a freind/partner and set the next milestone/celebration.

Good idea Sapy. Thank you

I totally agree with DavidT's reward idea. I have a reward system of my own and it has not only made the challenge a little easier, but more exciting too! You just have to figure out how you reward yourself. When I made up my system I had in mind the acronyms of feelings that GYE says you should keep an eye out for because they might make you fall:  B.A.D. (Bored, Angry, Depressed) and H.A.L.T. (Hungry, Anxious, Lonely, Tired). So basically what I did was put in things that I really wanted but also could prevent one of those feelings. For example, one of my rewards is a couple of slices of pizza with special toppings. That would basically guarantee that I won't feel hungry for awhile after that.

Obviously everyone is different. If you do this you'll need to attack the feelings that personally can cause you to fall. But that doesn't mean you can't reward yourself with some good stuff. Give it a try if you want to!

Yeah the reward system is a great idea so I can associate overcoming the urge with positive reinforcement. I’ve been thinking about what I could use as a reward, but haven’t come up with anything yet that I think would work. One of my ideas was that I would watch an episode of my favorite show every time I overcame an urge, but I’m also trying to limit my time watching tv. I’d rather not spend money on the reward cuz my financial situation right now would make it more of a punishment than a reward. Anyways open to any ideas anyone has. Thanks for the advice!

One note about a self run reward system that I have found quite challenging is the need for real discipline. meaning,you can not let yourself have the reward when you don't deserve it or even for any other reason. For example,if the reward is the pizza mentioned above you have to be careful not to have that pizza just because you are really in the mood one day. Also,you have to be the judge if you deserve it or not and that can be a challenge...

Wow, wow, wow!!! Those are some amazing goals and steps!

I would take a reward whenever you want to reward yourself for doing good! Hashem is happy every time you make a stride in the right direction, so why shouldn't you also be! Sometimes just patting yourself on the back could be a reward to for those of us who don't do it enough.

The reward system is effective for many.

However, I found that the taavah was simply too great.

The "friend / accountability system" (i.e., GYE) did light years more in my case...

To each is own.

With political correctness from Grodno ~ IMG