2014 Challenge

Morning,

Hope everyone had a great Christmas.

I've been away for a few days so a belated check in today on what I believe is day 30. Apologies for missing the final week's cut off before Mr Brightside passes on the baton. I've only been here a short while but appreciate the fantastic effort you've put in and the positive outlook.

Things are still going well and I've been keeping incredibly busy over the festive period. Life is good and I'll definitely be seeing you all in the 2015 challenge; determined to see it all the way through.

All the best for the week ahead.

elchipper

Hi Mr B, checking in on 15 weeks of being clean, 105 days. Looking forward to the 2015 challenge to go a full year clean.

Many congratulations to all who celebrate big milestones this week

Be very very proud

Glads dad

thanks glads dad

been a good week

gamble free one over christmas

tri

Hi Mr B.

Checking in for last time for the 2014 challenge, 245 days, 35 weeks.

Wishing everyone a very happy gambling free new year,

And a very happy 70th birthday to Mrs B, have a lovely day.

Suzanne xx

Hi all - 30 weeks GF sometime this week - I am losing track slowly on the actual number of days! But calculate that it will be 220 days at the end of this challenge / start of the 2015 one.

Great update as usual Mr B - and good to see you are in on the 2015 challenge as a base soldier, great to have you alomgside again and hope 2015 will bring you and all marchers good rewards for GF efforts.

Life can and does change; it does get better & easier over time and trust can be restored over time. Just takes honesty and effort with friends, family close by and in some respects, the banks!

Have a great new year all and see you on the other side.

P.S - can't wait for Mr B's final post on teh 2014 challange and the final stats!

Kind regards, Cliff

Evening everyone!

Following up on my commitment to post every day of this final week of the challenge......T Minus 2 as at midnight tonight!

Just had a lovely night with Mama B for her 70th Birthday - it's amazing how the absence of gambling from your life can free you up to invest time and money in the really important things.

Congratulation as well to SuzyLemon on her Double Century today - amazing going Suzy!!

The 2015 Challenge is taking amazing shape - I can't believe the number of people who have signed up to it already and will feature in Phil's first update this Sunday - it could well be the biggest aid to stopping gambling seen on the forum and what an incredible feeling to be a part of it.

2 more days to check in before the end of the year and Thursday's final update.

hope you are all ok and speak again tomorrow!

Mr B x

Good morning, i would like to check in for the final time this year, today sees me on day 55 GF and this is probably the longest period i have ever gone in the last 4 or 5 years! I look forward to 2015 immensly which will see me pay off my credit cards, reduce my overdraft and make a start on paying back the 5-10k i owe my sister(we havent counted it up yet!)

Hope you all have a great new year, all the best

Greg - EGFR

Final check in for me and a big thanks to Mr B for inviting me to join over a year ago. The year has had its ups and downs but the best thing for me is that I'm still here. If it wasn't for Mr B I would have given up on the forum months ago. Fortunately I have sorted my head out and I end 2014 as I started it, full of hope and determined not to slip up again. This challenge has helped me massively and so many members have been briliant with their support when I needed it, so thank you! Its also amazing to read how much better peoples lives have become as the year has gone by. This thread has been the most inspirational and helpful one that I have ever seen on here, I'm glad I joined it and Mr B you really couldn't have done a more brilliant job.

Hi everyone. Checking in today Ithink Iim obon day 217 31 weeks but eveverything seems merged together at the moment. 😀

Wishing everyone a fantastic gamble free new year xx

Checking in. The best part of 7 weeks gamble free aside from one daft moment playing a bandit in a pub when drunk on boxing day!! Thanks for your support mr b at times in the year and for running this challenge its been a great learning curve and I feel ready to make 2015 my year!!

Evening all!!

We're almost there!! 24 hours to for the 2014 Challenge and the big handover to Phil will be complete after the final update!!

Have a great Hogmanay everyone and be safe in whatever you are doing!

Take care,

Mr B

Morning all

Well it is the last day of this amazing thread, a huge thanks to the honourable mr b for the effort he has put into it

My dear friend I salute you.

When I first came to the forum, I was 23 days into 2012 and missed the 2012 gamble free thread that nt ran as the thread was run for the purpose of members seeing out the calendar year and the thread for 2013 was run by Flagg which I fell from grace from on the 31st of October that year through my last act of gambling.

This year 2014 flagg again started a gamble free thread for 2014 on the recovery diaries section which fell from the pages back inaAugust, flagg has not posted since and it led me to seek a new place to exercise the demon of my past failings and join this thread to see out the remainder of the year.

Today is the conclusion of my first gamble free calendar year.

A year in which I have in my own journey met many roundabouts, many events have offered me well my addiction the route straight back to the arms of that first punt, I have learnt a great deal about my own mind and the strength recovery gifts it.

Through negotiating those roundabouts I grow stronger in my resolve, as a person I have become more measured at ease with my concious decisions that mean my life is no longer about self creating one disaster after another.

My advice is simple, give all you have got to recovery, let it become the most important thing in your life.

Embrace it, it won't lie to you, it won't let you down, it will gift you the chance to rectify your shortfalls as a person, it will offer you the chance to right the wrongs financially gambling brought.

I believe in recovery, I am by nature very gung ho, many gamblers I have met are the same, so use it to your advantage

Go 'all in'

That winning feeling comes with it, that feeling grows.

I wish you all a very happy new year, make today a winning day

Tomorrow will look better for it.

Abstain and maintain

Duncs stepping forward never back.

I wish Phil every success in taking the effort to orchestrate the new 2015 thread

I hope it continues to reward as many as this thread.

good morning everyone. nervous about the new year!!! weird I know but had difficulty sleeping last night and the worry kicked in. I've managed to abstain this year, will I be able to in the new year when hubby goes back to work and kids go back to school.......

gave myself a talking to at 3 o'clock this morning and told myself of course I can do it!!!!

So I'm here to wish you all a fantastic gamble and stress free new year full of health, love, laughter, happiness and joy. stay strong and remember together we can do it

Checking in for the final time in 2014 at 33 days.

Here's to a great 2015 free of gambling for everyone.