Gearing Up to Quit Smoking

This week, I am going to focus on preparing to quit smoking! Not easy, but gotta start somewhere...and now is the time!

Who knew that smoking was going to take over so much of your life?  Now here you are - ready to act on your decision to quit smoking.  Even though you really want to quit, it’s going to be much harder to stop than it was to start.

 Not everyone in your life understands what you’re facing.  There are those people who say, “Be strong and just do it!”  You’re trying to smile while thinking, “If only it was that easy.”

Then there are those people who flaunt the latest medical horror stories about disease and smoking, hoping that will convince you to quit smoking.  What your well-meaning friends and family are missing is that you already have the desire to quit smoking.

Congratulate yourself - because that places you halfway to your goal.  That last half is going to be difficult and frustrating and time consuming. So when the “helpful” people ask whether or not you’ve quit yet, you say, “Yes - I’m becoming a non-smoker.”

That’s better than saying, “I'm trying to quit.”  To say try about anything is like having your fingers crossed just in case it doesn’t work out.  That’s why you need to have your words fairly reinforce your efforts.      

            How long will it take to quit smoking?  That can vary depending on many factors. Just because one person was able to quit earlier than you do, don’t let that get you down. Every day you make the effort to quit smoking is one day closer to your goal, no matter how long or short that timeframe is.

Next article (19tj  June 2012)  "For Once…It’s Good to Be a Quitter!"

cheers,

Bobby Wan