Ok, you love smoking and so did I. There really is almost nothing else in this world that gives you so much pleasure as a comforting visit from a good friend, the cigarette. Well, here I am, someone I thought would never quit smoking. Talk about trying and failing, I was a pro, which ended up being a good thing. Anyway, now over three years without a cigarette and feeling better every day. Here are the steps I used to accomplish.
You need to have some desire to quit, ever so slight, but a desire nonetheless.
My motivation was just breathing after 40 was not as easy as when I was younger. When you are in your 20's or 30's you can smoke your brains out and it seems your lungs bounce back in the morning, but after 40 and counting, this all changes.
You need to be a professional and experienced quitter.
This is a very important part of the equation, you must have quit and failed many times. This is one endeavor that requires experience at failing, and the more practice you have quitting, the better. I am not talking a day or two, I mean some serious efforts that failed after several weeks, months or even more.
You must read Allen Carr's "The Easy Way To Stop Smoking" book.
Here is the link if have never heard of this book, and an absolute must read to be successful. If you won't read the book, stop here.
Now, just let the book sink in.
This step can take anywhere from a few days to many months, for me it was about 9 months later. The big point to remember is that you must let it sink in. I thought of Allen's words all the time and especially enjoyed watching other smokers and thinking about what the book said. It is really an eye opening experience after reading the book.
After the book has set in and you feel ready, then quit.
This is it, just do it when you are ready. Be positive and keep your mind on the fact that you are a non-smoker. Attitude is everything from here on out, so keep your head on this one thought and you will not have a problem. Again, you are a non-smoker.
The main keys to success are 1) that you want to quit smoking for whatever reason, 2) you have tried quitting and failed many times before, 3) you have read Allen Carr's book, 4) you have waited the requisite time after reading the book before quitting.
The wait is a key ingredient to success, and it is a very personal timeframe. For me, I just got over another scary bout of bronchitis, and one Monday morning, quit. (about 9 months after reading the book) I used nicotine gum for 7 days, then stopped it the following Monday. Now over three years later, I almost do not believe that I ever smoked.
