Checking in 61 days today.
Looking forward to a gamble free Christmas and new year and 2015 challenge run by Phil.
Thanks for running the 2014 challenge mr B, it really does help..
Mba
had quite a lot of thoughts about gambling this evening and thoughts around debt because of gambling but still hanging in no way am i being beaten!! hate how even as a non gambler it can still strike u at any time and make you feel very vulnerable!
37 days though determined to see the year out, tonight and into 2015!
Stay safe everyone keep the barriers up!
Good evening everyone,
Checking in for to report a gamble free week. Now on leave for a few weeks and looking forward to spending it with family and friends. I hope each and everyone one of you have a great christmas and new year.
Mike
Hi all, checking in GF... I think the format is spot on so not much change needed, although I'm sure Phil will put his own spin on things which is great. On another note I feel my commitment has lacked for the past months mainly due to lack of time, my contribution each week is merely my number tally. I have decided I won't be committing to the 2015 challenge but if allowed I may drop by from time to time and obviously if I feel I am struggling then I will address this head on. I thank you all for the past year and I will see the 2014 challenge to the end. Also tony enjoy the rest you deserve it and Phil you will be a top leader.
Del 🙂
Hello all,
Checking in 34 days free for me if my calculations are correct!
Feel good to be heading towards Christmas with a healthy run of days under my belt. It's a good platform to build on for 2015.
Paul
Morning
checking in had a good week.. Feeling strong again
Glads dad
Checking in.
‘Twas the update before Christmas and all through the land,
A force was getting stronger, among a merry band,
The challenge troops said “up yours Hills” and “up yours Paddy” too,
Our lives are back on track now with not much thanks to you,
We’re hitting major milestones and getting rid of debt,
And all because, for today, we’ve said we will not bet,
The urge to gamble still exists but we have all said “no”,
Our strength marching together will inevitably grow,
As Santa drops our presents off, we will not be back,
We’ve lightened our own heavy loads, the punt has got the sack,
Now as we rest our heads in our beds on Christmas Eve,
We’ll close our eyes without the guilt, with a reason to believe,
We’ll say that we are winning, we’ve made our own new luck,
So Merry Christmas one and all, and Ladb&okes, get to…………..!!!
That about sums it up for me this morning! What a different world for us from this time 12 months ago when so many were posting on these pages about not being able to afford gifts for loved ones and that money for presents had been lost on high streets and online sites. The positivity on the thread this week around looking forward to Christmas and not back to the regretful losses just shows how far we’ve come. On Thursday we will look at our families in a different way……..and they will look at us differently too. There will be one thing that will not be under the tree with anyone’s name on it……..but if it was a touchable object then it would have our individual names on it……..it is the gift of freedom and with that gift comes peace, financial benefits, investment in family, time, self- esteem, pride and a future. However, that’s not a gift that we would hold close and only have for ourselves………………..it’s one that every day we choose to say “today I will not gamble” is one that we will gift to everyone in our lives…………….as Duncan says, “it is the gift that just keeps giving”.
Headlines for the Week
With 2 more check ins left in 2014, the headlines are as follows – there’s 29 soldiers marching into the Christmas week. We’ve got 4 missing soldiers from last week’s 30 giving us a retention of 87%, 2 returning team members and a new member joined the ranks (welcome jspaghetti – formal welcome to come!). Collectively, the 29 of us have been clean from gambling for just under 15 years, with each of us still carrying an average of more than 6 months of freedom in our back packs. The challenge has now delivered more than 38 years of gamble free living and the collective total saved since we began this journey has now gone over £700k!
New and Returning Members
Welcome back to Batman and markieb10 this week. It’s great to Batman is still free from gambling after been missing for a while – over 300 days now!! Very proud of you soldier. Our new member joining the ranks is jspaghetti……..welcome!! What a great time to join us – Christmas just round the corner and then a New Year full of hope and the ability to make a new start. Many of us in the group started our journey around this time last year and have made 2014 the year that we changed our lives – 2014 is the year you made the decision……….2015 can be the year you reinforce it and make it your gamble free year!
Special Mentions………….
I wanted to call out a couple of the team based on their check ins for this week. Firstly Del79 – Del has been the soldier who has been leading the way for the challenge in the last 12 months – he was the first Century Club member, the first to reach 6 months, the first to hit the year and will be closing out 2014 gamble free. Understandably, Del has chosen to move on and will not be joining the 2015 Challenge albeit with a couple of drop ins to say hi every now and again. Del, I just wanted to thank you for your leadership, for showing us the way, for your friendship and for your unwavering commitment to the 2014 Challenge………but mainly to wish you all the best on your new journey. We definitely need to meet up for those beers we’ve been promising ourselves in the New Year.
Hitthefan – HTF has chosen to make this his last week of check in. There comes a time in all of our recovery journeys that it feels right to move on and we need to respect that whatever the motivation may be. HTF, you’ve been with us for the vast maj ority of the year and I will keep an eye on your diary to celebrate your year with you. While I realise that Christmas and New Year will bring it’s challenges for the family in the sad circumstances you find yourselves, I hope that it is a blessed and special time. All the best mate and take care – you’ll always be one of us.
Milestones Celebrated in the Week………and to be Celebrated this Week!
Here are the milestones from the week just past:-
Batman – your check in this week sees you also celebrate the triple century! 300 days after your decision that enough is enough and what a different life you must be leading now! Very proud of you soldier!
John64 – the double century John – 200 days of gamble free living!! Such an amazing journey for such a great guy! Really well done and hope it means that Christmas will be a very different experience this year!
AndyJ and Dot83 – both rocked through the 3 month milestone – a quarter of a year!! It’s a big week for both of you as the Century Club beckons!! What a way to celebrate Christmas – proud of you folks!!
The milestones for the next 7 days are as follows……….and boy there’s a lot of them!
Monday 22nd – Elfie hits the 6 month mark and Wolf57 reaches the double century!! What a great way to start the week with 2 huge milestones folks – well done!!
Thursday 25th – Happy Christmas everyone………but especially to Del79 (500 days free!), Duncanmac (60 weeks free!), delboygolf (40 weeks free!), AndyJ (Our newest member of the Century Club – 100 days!) and egfr (the half century – 50 days free!). Did you guys all choose your first day of stopping knowing that Christmas Day would be so significant? What an amazing day for the group but for you guys in particular – congratulations!! An extra special post required if we can find the time on Christmas Day!
Friday 26th – Happy Boxing Day! John64 reaches 30 weeks clean! Well done John – great going – may soften the hangover some!
Saturday 27th – Lady Baggins of Englandshire hits the triple century!! 300 days Jo………..are we ever going to meet up – I so badly want that snuggle!! Maybe after the year eh? Congratulations!
I’m going to mention a bit of an unconventional milestone……….and it’s the week after next………and is on Monday 29th December. MamaB (OutOfTheCage) has been particularly unwell over the last week and hasn’t made it out of her bed - she’s been suffering from a nasty flu – the proper flu. On Monday 29th we will join her in celebration of her 70th birthday. Just wanted to mention it mum and to use it as an opportunity to tell everyone how wonderful you are! You’ve been behind me and this challenge throughout and your contributions outstanding. You’re amazing!! Now get well and prepare yourself for a brilliant Christmas and an even better Birthday!!
Here’s the soldiers and their clean days as at today:-
Drum roll………total days free of gambling since the Challenge began……….
14064 Days = £703,200 in our pockets………………..£0 in the bookies!!!
The 2015 Challenge…….
So that is the update for this week then. All that remains to be said is that I hope you are all blessed with an amazing Christmas, that you cherish the time with family, you stay strong and that most of all, you are happy!!
Tony………..’cos I’m Mr Brightside!
Checking in on day 276
Hi Mr B,
Great post as always, and I hope you mum recovers quicker than quick from the flu,
Checking in on 237 days only 4 sleeps til Xmas day, stay strong and calm all, and keep winning.
Suzanne xx
thanks again mr b
checking in today 283 days
walking alongside you soldiers throughout 2014
keep going not long left
tri
Checking In - Day 192
So glad I joined this forum and the Challenge.
Congrats to all those celebrating milestones.
Suzy
Hi All - Greast pre Xmas update Mr B as ever elequant, accurate and with a sense of humour as well as your special brand of poignaint humour!!
Checking in Gamble Free on Day 199 - a big happy Yule [winter solstice] to you all; 200 days tomorrow [whoop whoop] and 206 on next Sat / Sunday!
The days just roll by now, and despite what seems to be an increase of betting & bingo advertising at this time of year, no thoughts or urges to gamble at all!
However, I have suffered in the past from complacency and this will not be repeated! One day at a time and looking forward to a gamble free future!
I thought about whether to join the 2015 challenge for a long while and personally, I decided that it would be good for me and hopefully good for fellow 2015 marchers alongside Phil. I will hit the 365 milestone on June 6th and hope that in reaching that, it will help others marching behind that date & milestone to be epowered and hopefully keep them focused on their own personal achievments! That said i fully understand those that will take their 2014 experiences into their own futures outwith this forum; and wish them all a gamble free existence for them - but they will always know how the 2014 challenge and posts here have helped them, and this wil always be here for them should it be needed to bolster their reserve.
Its been a pleaseure marching alongside those veterans; but especially Mr B who will be sadly missed by me and many others I suspect [although I will cross paths on the 2014/15 football challenge as he tumbles down the table towards my slowly rising star team LOL :)!
Have a great festive week everyone, and enjoy it being your first GF Xmas of many - things can only get better [as a great 80's band once sang!!].
Be happy, be safe, Cliff
Checking in for another gamble free week .......great post again Mr B. Hope Mama B is recovering from flu. Keep strong everyone ....one small step at a time. This is a good end to the year for every one that has found this forum whether it's 1 year gamble free (congrats to all ) or one day (congrats to all) every day is a temptation and we must strive to keep going day by day with the realisation that urges can hit at any time. Be strong, come on the forum, contact someone and you'll all get there.
have a great Xmas week, enjoy time with friends and family.
mo
duplicate post sorry
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