Are Programs To Stop You Smoking Pointless?

How To Quit Smoking?

There's no shortage of stop smoking programs on offer to the hundreds of millions of smokers worldwide. Many of these programs claim fantastic results but oddly enough the number of people smoking has not "dramatically reduced by 75%" or even close to that amount. The sad truth is that many of these stop smoking programs simply don't work - and never will. The same is true for many people, alas, using the nicotine replacement therapies and other methods used to quit smoking. And there is one single reason for this.

Speaking as a recovering smoker there is one single force powerful enough to stop you from smoking. Forever. Is it gum? No. God? No. A 12 step program with weekly meetings? No. It's you. The power and ability to quit smoking lies solely in your own hands and in nobody elses. Modern man has become far too dependent on others to cure our own problems. We look for answers in books and on TV shows when the decision to truly quit smoking comes from within. Human beings are capable of amazing mental and physical feats - why not put that power to work by choosing to quit smoking? If you truly want to quit smoking then no craving or desire will be strong enough to make you stop trying. Ever. Bear that in mind too. 75% of people fail on their first attempt at giving up cigarettes, but as Benjamin Franklin once said, "I didn't fail the test, I just found 100 ways to do it wrong." Keep trying and stay focused and you will quit smoking.

Smoking, Your Lifesyle, And Your Goals

The biggest problem most people have when trying to quit is their social routine. Smokers tend to gravitate towards other smokers - it's a common denominator. Smokers associate smoking with fun social occassions. Smokes and beers. Smokes and poker. Smoke breaks in work where you can catch up on the days news (I learned more about my own company in our smoking area than I ever did at any management meeting). You'll have to avoid these occassions in future - just until you get your head straight about no longer smoking.

One thing to really watch out for is getting carried away with goals. All too often people decide to quit smoking, join a gym and lose 20 pounds all at the same time. Give yourself the chance to succeed at one thing before trying to tackle another. Otherwise you run the risk of juggling too many personal goals and tasks. Then when you fail at one (even temporarily) you feel despondent about the others and then within 4 weeks you've quit on all your goals and it'll take real work to get you motivated to try again. Too many rules can be a bad thing. You're only human - always remember that.