This is a not a great idea. But it's not my bad idea so I don't take responsibility for it.

The challenge:

Stay clean for Elul through Yom Kippur. We can do a bonus round through Sukkos if anyone is still standing.

The prize: Everyone who wants to join agrees to kick in $20. If you fall - you forfeit. Winners divide the pot.
Winner(s) also get infinite bragging rights on the forum.

(Here's the money laundering technique to get the cash since I'm not sending y'all a zelle. Losers will give the money to tzedakah as winner's maaser. The winner then takes the money from his maaser funds. I have no idea if this works halachically and I'm open to suggestions.)

Eligibility: Anyone with less than 30 days clean can join.

Why it's a good idea: Competition is very motivating if done right and it's geshmak to go into Rosh Hashana clean.

Why it's a bad idea: See Thompson's post. I can almost guarantee that those who fall out will go on a real binge. It's also not anything resembling a long term solution. But for all that, getting a small period of sobriety is crucial for working on recovery and that's a sufficient toeles.

Rules: A "fall" for the purposes of this competition is defined as: Masturbating (with or without ejaculation), watching porn (hard, soft, video, picture, gif, sound, regular movies with nudity etc. etc.) for more than five seconds. Looking at regular people on the street is not considered a fall (e.g. if you go sit on the beach to look at girls in bikinis that's a fall). All questionable falls will be paskened by the ref (me. I get to be the ref. Don't be jealous of my cool stripy shirt.)

Feel free to define behaviors you'd like to keep away from for the contest in addition to these.

To join just post "I'm in".

I'm in!

chosemyshem wrote on 04 Sep 2024 19:12:

A couple of questions and complaints from the cashew gallery:

1) The 5 seconds you mention, is that a total over the next 40 days? Or is it 5 seconds per session? Like, can I split it up?
2) What if I happen to find girls in bikinis on the street?
3) Seriously?! Gifs too?! Uch...

thompson wrote on 04 Sep 2024 19:29:

1) Five seconds per inadvertently clicking something. Deliberately sitting down to watch for less than five seconds is a fall.
2) Girls in bikinis in the street are an occasional hazard. Not a fall.
3) No gifs. Winnie the Pooper is fine unless it's not.

Oh lord. I hate getting an invite to a party, than 5 sentences in, being told not only am I not invited but if I show up than the party is over.

Gosh, I hate that Im clean for more than thirty days.

All those that are clean for 30+ days by the time Sukkos rolls around are invited to a big party by YKW's place.

This time I'm the ref, Shem, m'boy