It takes effort to reach long streaks

it took me a few years to be able to totally quit masturbation. Now it is effortless. But i honestly believe a year is enough if you really commit. I was a bit like you, wanking once every 2 weeks. And then i got to a point where i was really fed up with the side effects of ejaculation, decided to move on with my life and let that stuff behind me forever. However i did not resolve the question totally as i am still single. Anyway at that point i did my first 3 months streak and it went lika a charm, maybe because i was used to short / reasonable period of abstinence.
the more you will abstain and work on dispassion for the senses, the more you will progress in that aspect

 

It took me also a very long time of practising and hard work to reach longer streaks. But outs definitively possible. Maybe you have to be patient with yourself.

It makes a big difference, if you want to quit masturbation or if you want to quit porn and use cessation of masturbation as a means to get there. It's not that as soon as you reach a streak of 90 days, bingo, you're free from porn. How do you think you will achieve your goal? When do you think reached there?

 

Okay, I understand.
What does a 5 months streak mean to you? 5 months of no porn, 5 months of complete abstinence or 5 months of as much as possible from your list of goals?

However, I very much respect your demanding goal.

 

Getting rid of that mentality is what made it easier for me: https://www.nofap.com/forum/index.php?threads/seven-days-now-what.183685/#post-1566190

If you were on 42 when you relapsed then you're on 43 now (or however many days added since) No one just goes "Im gonna get clean" and then just does it, fucking up is part of the process. So keeping the mentality of "streaks" just hurts you because you have a warped view of your battle.

Please read that link. Good luck man! Stay strong!

 

What you, @JJackson, said there is very true. Especially for rebooters. Day count since the last time p or m doesn't mean anything and destroys the perception of the achievements.
I personally use the day count to measure progress in order to get free of masturbation. The longer I'm able to not do it, the further I've got. I know this is problematic, too, but up to now I don't know any better measure.

 

That's part of the point. To not worry about that stuff and just focus on what matters, getting through the day the same way you entered it, clean.

There's nothing to gain from worrying about progress like that so why do it? This is a battle that takes place entirely in your mind so why waste resources (mental energy) on pointless things when instead it can be used to help fight back?

You'll notice progress just by the improvements in your life. For example, at some point in the recent months I've regained my appreciation for nature (which I had when I was a kid but lost and forgot about). I started appreciating the simple act of breathing in some fresh air or how the world looks. From bright sunny days where sunlight is creating rays through the trees or a day that's dark and rainy yet peaceful at the same time, I just appreciate the world now. Thats a sign of progress.

It even goes the other way too. If you're suddenly full of anxiety and depression after a while without PMO that's your mind going through withdrawal and trying to adjust to living without its usual supply of dopamine. That's progress!

There's just no point in focusing on numbers and calendars and stuff in my opinion. The most important thing is simply getting through the current day. No need to look to the past and no reason to worry about the future. All you need to do is get through whatever day it is.

 

You're talking about the life I'm longing for. But there's anything between this and my actual me.
I see your point in recognizing more the things of every day.
If I want to reach my certain goal, how could I see if what I was doing was the right thing. This is simple and it's a hard fact: When I am able to go for 100 days I know I did it right because today I'm not able to achieve this.
If I can't count on such figures I don't know if I'm making real progress.
Lack of trust in myself?

 

The point is that there's no need to think about all that, you're too caught up in it and that doesn't help.

Plain and simple fact is that if you're staying clean then progress is being made. There's no needing to know if "you're doing the right thing" when staying clean is the right thing. Or is it not?

What's your "goal" here? Isn't it to get this garbage out of your life? If it is then there's no need to worry about all that, it's just needless noise in your head. If its PIED well, thats pretty self explanatory in terms of progress.